MEN IN LOVE Michael Walek

Michael Walek [email protected] CAST

The Kanes Walker Kane A hedge fund manager Richard Kane His father

The Hopkins Frank Hopkins His business partner Franklin Hopkins Junior Frank's father

The Lovers Emma Sanders Frank's girlfriend, Clayton Needleman A boy. Anton Chernyev A boy. Kyle Riley A boy. Jack Harris A boy. Samantha Lauren A woman. Hadley Fox

The Traders Scott Hirsch works at Hopkins/Kane Investments Brian Dietrich works at Hopkins/Kane Investments Jason Costello works at Hopkins/Kane Investments Corey Stapelton works at Goldman

The Securities and Exchange Commission Robert Khuzami Director of enforcement Robert's Assistant

New Yorkers Suitor Escort Mortgage Man Barry Greene Trainer Assistant Anchor Reporter Client #1 Client #2 Client #3 David Remnick Bill Maher Woman Economist Trainer Walker's Assistant Frank's Lawyer Emma's Lawyer

Goldman Sachs Susan Harrington Garry Hale Fabrice "Fab" Tourre Taylor

Note: Walker and Frank are the only actors who do not double. The minimum number of actors are nine. ACT ONE

THE OFFICE

2006/2007 2.

FRANK You wake up each morning with one goal. You’re going to murder this fucking day.

BRIAN 97, 98, 99, 100.

JASON Move the fuck over. You have the whole comforter.

SCOTT I’m not making you pancakes.

WALKER Can this line move faster?

BRIAN Good morning Peter. Thank you. You too.

JASON What time is it? We have to be really quick.

SCOTT We don’t have time. Daddy has to get to work.

WALKER What thirty year old doesn’t know their coffee order?

BRIAN Of come on. Open. Open. Look I’m pretending my leg is stuck in the door.

JASON Too quick? Sorry. Sally. Susan. Right. Summer... I was close.

SCOTT You have to wear pants to school. It’s January.

BRIAN Yes.

JASON Uh-huh.

SCOTT Ten, nine, eight, seven...this is your last warning. 3.

BRIAN Clipping your toenails. Clipping your toenails.

JASON Take Plan B!

SCOTT I fucking hate strollers. Move to the suburbs you fucking yuppie Fascists. Have a nice day, sweetie. Tell mommy I hate her.

WALKER Morning Frank.

FRANK Morning Walker.

WALKER Do you want a coffee?

FRANK Double espresso.

WALKER I’ll be right up.

FRANK Perfection.

SCOTT I hate people.

BRIAN Move. Move. Move.

JASON Morning Dino. You too.

CLAYTON Did you do the homework? I didn’t do the homework. Wanna know why?

EMMA Send it I want to edit it one more time before we publish.

They check their phones. 4.

SCOTT BRIAN Fuck. Fuck.

JASON Fuck.

WALKER You’re looking good too, Claire. The usual please and a double espresso.

FRANK My name is Frank Hopkins. I am thirty years old and I am a hedge fund manager. I was born in New York City.

WALKER My name is Walker Kane. I am thirty years old and I am a hedge fund manager. I was born in New York City.

FRANK WALKER I’m going to be a billionaire by thirty six. I’m going to be a billionaire by thirty six.

WALKER FRANK The age Marilyn Monroe died. The age Bob Marley died.

The office of Hopkins & Kane Investments.

WALKER Here you go.

Walker hands Frank his coffee.

FRANK Thank you.

WALKER Have a good day.

FRANK Make us some money.

WALKER Get us some money. 5.

Frank goes into his office. Corner view.

Walker goes into his office. Dark room with a long table. Bloomberg monitors side by side for Walker, Scott, Brian and Jason.

BRIAN Morning boss.

JASON Catch.

Jason throws Walker a binder. Walker grabs it with ease.

JASON Where’s my coffee?

Walker sucks down his cup.

WALKER What time is it?

SCOTT Nine-fifteen.

WALKER T-minus, fifteen boys. Do we know the strategy for the day?

SCOTT Hell yeah.

BRIAN Hell yeah.

JASON Fuck yeah.

WALKER Alright let’s fire this up.

Walker sits.

A car. 6.

RICHARD Morning, Mr. Hopkins.

FRANKLIN Morning, Richard.

RICHARD Looks like smooth sailing today.

FRANKLIN Sounds good.

CLAYTON I’m way too tired, I was up all night....why do you think...him.

EMMA 50 are dead after a series of insurgent attacks across Iraq comma including a suicide bomb at a Shia funeral leaving 36 dead period. God that’s bleak.

WALKER T-minus fourteen.

SCOTT Did you guys watch the Knicks?

BRIAN Painful.

JASON It always is.

WALKER What’s on the slate?

Their voices overlap creating a primary text in bold.

SCOTT Work from the Detroit auto plant.

BRIAN It fell from twenty to ten.

FRANK Make me a cup of coffee will you? 7.

WALKER It doesn’t seem right.

EMMA Do it now.

BRIAN Makes us the first to go for it.

CLAYTON I just screamed for him to go harder all night.

WALKER What do you think is a better decision?

FRANK I need my coffee faster.

BRIAN I think it’s a stronger move.

EMMA They’ve fixed the glitches it’s going to work.

BRIAN It’ll get harder to find the stock the longer we wait.

FRANKLIN Can we make it by nine-thirty?

WALKER We better do it then.

EMMA No it’s faster than the Blackberry.

RICHARD We’ll make it.

SCOTT It’s a good move for us.

FRANK This coffee needs to be stronger. 8.

CLAYTON I’ve never liked anyone more than this.

BRIAN And if we ever want to move in that direction.

EMMA They pushed the press conference back an hour.

BRIAN After the next quarter.

WALKER Our work is never over.

SCOTT And we’re off.

The traders stare at their computers.

Frank gets on the phone.

Action.

BRIAN Look at that.

FRANK Hi, It’s Frank Hopkins.

SCOTT That is Apple.

FRANK No problem I can hold.

JASON Don’t move on it yet.

FRANK Kill me.

EMMA Can we talk about this later? 9.

CLAYTON Only man that has made me cum three times.

Phone rings.

JASON

(to phone) Make me an offer.

Frank gets a new cup of coffee.

FRANK Thank you. This is stronger.

JASON I need you to go higher with that.

FRANKLIN We need to hurry up.

JASON Now we’re talking.

RICHARD I can’t ‘cause this construction.

EMMA It’s me. I can’t wait much longer to publish.

FRANKLIN I know, but

FRANK HI how have you been?

FRANKLIN I’ve got to be there in five minutes.

EMMA I’m gonna edit it right now

FRANK ‘Cause I’ve been crazy with the fund. You know. 10.

WALKER I can’t believe what Dell is doing.

FRANKLIN Get in that lane.

CLAYTON And he shot so much cum

EMMA “Wronger” is not a word.

CLAYTON He’s a man

FRANK I've been waiting to call you until l had some big news.

CLAYTON He lasted all night

WALKER Now look at BEG.

SCOTT That’s doing just like you said it would.

FRANK How long have we been friends?

WALKER I’ve been thinking we should move on it.

EMMA On page two, we need to correct something.

FRANKLIN You did it. We’re here.

They exit.

WALKER I think.... 11.

FRANK I don’t need anything

WALKER You should pull the file on that.

CLAYTON Right now we don’t have another date planned, but...

WALKER I’ll look at what’s happening with DEC

FRANK You need us

EMMA You should change it to present tense.

CLAYTON Right now, I’m just happy about last night.

FRANK No one works as hard as us.

WALKER It looks like it’s going to get a bump.

FRANK Harder than all the rest.

WALKER Make a note about this.

EMMA It looks good. I’m sending.

JASON Better flag FDC as well.

CLAYTON It was an Italian place. Il Cantinori.

Emma hits her computer. 12.

EMMA Ugh Faster.

FRANK We’ll make a presentation to you this week.

BRIAN US-Corp is erratic today.

CLAYTON Stronger

FRANK You need us more than ever.

WALKER Let’s schedule that at sixteen hundred hour.

JASON Meeting after work.

FRANK Our work is never over.

WALKER Our work is never over.

Voices back to normal.

The office.

FRANK How’d it go today?

WALKER We’re up a hundred and fifty grand.

FRANK Drink?

WALKER Do I ever say no? How was your day? 13.

FRANK I got a meeting with Aaron Hanks. Five to eight million.

WALKER You’ve been trying to catch him.

FRANK I have. My dad played golf with him last week and he cajoled him.

WALKER I like that word.

FRANK Me too.

WALKER How’s your father?

FRANK Good. Says, hi.

WALKER “Hello”.

FRANK He wants you to come to Annisa next Wednesday?

WALKER Would love to.

Drinks in hand.

FRANK WALKER Cheers. Cheers.

WALKER When’s the meeting?

FRANK Next week. Tuesday. I checked your schedule.

WALKER So Wednesday could be a celebration.

FRANK It could. What are you up to tonight? 14.

WALKER The guys are going out. What’s the fiancé doing?

FRANK She has a deadline. I feel like going out.

WALKER Can’t. Go with the guys.

FRANK Hot date?

WALKER Indeed.

FRANK What’s his deal? A model? A personal trainer?

Walker stares at him.

WALKER I have something I want to talk to you about.

FRANK Shoot.

WALKER Did you see the news about Countrywide?

FRANK Insurance company?

WALKER Someone’s thinking of buying it.

FRANK Merger?

WALKER Not exactly.

FRANK What’s in it for us?

WALKER I think there’s something there. 15.

FRANK In Countrywide?

WALKER I think there’s something to this housing bubble.

FRANK I’m listening.

WALKER You’re giving me a look.

FRANK We do merger investments.

WALKER But there’s a housing bubble.

FRANK Not a real one.

WALKER Define real.

FRANK There may be, but that’s not our game.

WALKER What if we started putting money towards real estate?

FRANK That’s not in our mission statement.

WALKER I’m just thinking out loud.

FRANK You want to invest in real estate?

Walker takes a sip.

WALKER This is good stuff. 16.

FRANK You want to invest in real estate?

WALKER What is this?

FRANK Jefferson. I’ll buy you a case. Focus.

WALKER What’d I say?

FRANK You were thinking of investing in housing.

WALKER Oh no, actually, the complete opposite.

Pause.

WALKER Betting against it.

FRANK Did you eat today?

WALKER Of course not, but please/

FRANK No one bets against the housing market.

WALKER I know. I know. Trust me.

FRANK I’m not following your point.

WALKER I’m not really making one. I’m just going to do a little digging that’s all.

FRANK As long as it’s a little digging.

WALKER A little. A pittance. A cough. I just wanted to talk it over partner. 17.

FRANK Thanks partner.

WALKER Anything else?

FRANK Sure you don’t want to go out for oysters?

WALKER Go with the boys.

FRANK They don’t like me.

WALKER Don’t be silly.

FRANK They think I’m the enemy.

WALKER They do not.

FRANK I’m sales. They’re traders. It’s the Sharks and the Jets.

Walker does a Jerome Robbin’s snap.

WALKER Which one are the Puerto Ricans?

Jason knocks on the door.

JASON Sorry to interrupt.

WALKER It’s fine.

JASON We’re just heading out and wanted to see if you were coming?

WALKER I can’t, but I told Frank to join you. 18.

JASON Oh.... Great. Of course.

FRANK No, it’s fine.

WALKER Come on.

FRANK I still have some work to do.

JASON Okay, well see you guys Monday.

WALKER Get the report on Suez and Gaz to me this weekend.

JASON Will do.

WALKER Have a fun night.

Jason leaves.

FRANK See.

WALKER What? They’re just unused to it. If you went out with them more often it wouldn’t be so shocking.

FRANK It’s fine. I’ll call a friend.

WALKER You don’t have any friends.

FRANK Just potential clients and you.

WALKER I’m your business partner. 19.

FRANK And friend. Best friend. Since birth.

WALKER Five years old.

FRANK Like there’s a difference.

WALKER Anyway, I better be going.

FRANK Where you going to dinner?

WALKER Are you going to join?

FRANK Just curious.

WALKER Night.

Elevator.

WALKER Room for one more?

BRIAN Come on in, boss.

SCOTT We can squeeze.

Doors shut.

JASON Sure you don’t want to come out with us tonight? Party hard.

WALKER I can’t.

SCOTT One drink. 20.

WALKER Can’t.

BRIAN One drink.

The door opens.

Kyle stands waiting.

WALKER Night guys. We got a big day on Monday. We’re gonna start something new.

SCOTT Sounds good.

BRIAN See you later.

WALKER Hello.

KYLE Hello.

They kiss.

JASON Stay out of trouble.

WALKER I won’t.

The traders exit.

WALKER So what are you hungry for?

Kyle grabs Walker’s crotch.

WALKER Oh yeah.

A bedroom.

Frank and Emma have sex. 21.

FRANK Oh yeah. Yeah.

EMMA Come on pull my hair.

FRANK Yeah?

EMMA Yeah.

FRANK Yeah?

EMMA Yes.

Frank does.

EMMA That’s great.

A cell phone.

FRANK Um.

EMMA Don’t you dare.

FRANK I just have to

EMMA No.

FRANK I’m sorry. I just.

Frank stops.

FRANK I can’t concentrate if I don’t know.

Frank checks his phone. 22.

FRANK Oh it wasn’t me.

Frank goes to have sex.

Emma goes and checks her phone.

FRANK It wasn’t me.

EMMA So it was mine.

FRANK Yeah, but you don’t care.

EMMA I actually do.

Emma looks.

EMMA I’m gonna have to return this call.

FRANK Are you serious?

EMMA Yes.

FRANK Are you teaching me a lesson?

EMMA Yes.

She dials it back.

EMMA Hey. No. You’re not interrupting anything.

Bedroom.

Jack is giving Walker a blow job. 23.

Walker’s phone rings. He pushes Jack down on his dick and answers the phone.

WALKER Hello.

FRANK Hey.

WALKER Hi.

FRANK What are you doing?

WALKER Getting a blowjob.

FRANK Haha, very funny. How was the date?

WALKER Good.

FRANK Who is he?

WALKER It’s one in the morning.

FRANK Did you take Bishop’s Ethics class?

WALKER I did.

FRANK I’ve never been able to figure out Epicureanism.

WALKER Really?

FRANK Yeah. 24.

WALKER What don’t you get?

FRANK They’re stoics?

WALKER Atomic materialists.

FRANK What’s the difference?

WALKER They’re opposites.

FRANK Are you drunk?

WALKER Yeah.

FRANK Oh good. Me too.

WALKER What don’t you understand about Epicureanism?

FRANK So Epicurus says you should spend your life trying to achieve the greatest amount of pleasure.

WALKER Yep.

FRANK So pursue pleasure.

WALKER But not to excess. To much is bad. Like getting shit faced.

FRANK That makes sense.

Walker pulls up Jack. He begins to finger him. 25.

FRANK Epicurus said that life was a bitter gift. That was him right?

WALKER It was.

Walker licks his fingers.

FRANK And he didn’t believe in the Gods.

WALKER He believed the gods were made of atoms like people. Hence atomic materialism, so god and man were equal and also the Gods didn’t care about our life.

FRANK Do you think he was probably an atheist and just said that so he wasn’t stoned to death?

WALKER It’s a good theory.

FRANK I think I’m an Epicurean.

WALKER So was Thomas Jefferson.

FRANK Really? I’m just tired of telling people I’m an atheist.

WALKER Why do you tell people anything?

FRANK Well sometimes they ask.

WALKER When people ask you things like that, just stare them in the eyes, say nothing, and they’ll never ask you bullshit again.

FRANK I don’t think I can pull that off. 26.

Walker lays Jack down on a bed. They get tangled in the sheets.

They come up and now Walker is having sex with Anton.

Anton gasps, Walker covers his mouth with his hand.

FRANK So the book said, Epicurus defined pleasure as the absence of pain.

WALKER I don’t know if I believe that.

FRANK Yeah, I don’t either. I think pleasure is well pleasure.

WALKER Me too.

FRANK Did you know Marx wrote his doctoral thesis on him?

WALKER He didn’t believe in an afterlife?

FRANK Marx?

WALKER Epicurus.

FRANK No of course not, you know someone’s a hack when they believe in heaven.

WALKER At least after you’re dead.

FRANK This is true.

Emma comes back in the room.

FRANK Can we have sex again? 27.

EMMA Who are you talking to?

FRANK Walker.

EMMA Sure.

FRANK I need to go.

WALKER Okay.

FRANK You weren’t joking when you said you were getting a blow job were you?

WALKER No.

FRANK Good to know.

They hang up.

EMMA Was he with...

(Trying to recollect) Kyle?

FRANK Like he ever shares his personal life with me. I think this is a new one.

EMMA There’s always a new one.

FRANK Lucky him.

EMMA I can go.

FRANK No, no of course not, but sometimes. Don’t you ever think? 28.

EMMA About having sex with other men. Yes. Do you?

FRANK Well not other men.

EMMA You know what I mean.

FRANK I’m only human.

EMMA Would you want an open marriage?

FRANK

(Sarcastic) Oh yeah.

EMMA We could talk about it.

FRANK An open marriage. You would do that?

EMMA I’d think about how I felt about it.

FRANK Oh. I’m feeling...really freaked out right now.

EMMA Why?

FRANK My fiance is asking me for an open marriage.

EMMA That is not at all what’s happening right now.

FRANK But what happens if you meet someone and fell in love?

EMMA I think that happens to people who are in monogamous relationships too. 29.

FRANK God an open marriage. Do people tell their spouses about the people the fuck?

EMMA It must depend. You have rules.

FRANK Do we tell other people?

EMMA Like advertising?

FRANK No, our friends.

EMMA I don’t see why it’s anyone’s business except ours.

FRANK And the people we have extra-marital relations with.

EMMA This is really freaking you out.

FRANK I’m in new territory.

A club hallway.

JASON So how much?

ESCORT How long?

JASON The night.

ESCORT Twelve hundred dollars.

JASON Wow. Um, I....don’t..actually... want to have sex. I’d like to, um, cuddle.

ESCORT You’re not paying me for sex. 30.

JASON I’m not?

ESCORT No, I’m an escort. So you pay for my time and then I decide what I want to do.

JASON So you never have sex?

ESCORT Of course I do, but that’s not what you’re paying me for.

JASON What’s the difference?

ESCORT The law.

JASON I don’t get this.

ESCORT Are you drunk?

JASON No, I just don’t get the contract we’re agreeing to.

ESCORT It’s illegal to sell sex. It is legal to sell your time.

JASON But do I get a discount for not sleeping with you?

ESCORT No.

JASON So there’s no difference in price if I want to fuck you?

ESCORT It’s not based on the act.

JASON What if I want to do anal? 31.

ESCORT I don’t do anal.

JASON What if I want you to spank me?

ESCORT That’s included in the price.

JASON This seems like a terrible way to conduct business.

ESCORT I can leave.

JASON You know you really should hire a business manager.

ESCORT That’s called a pimp.

JASON No, like someone to do some consulting on your brand. I have a friend at Ernst & Young.

A bedroom.

Walker in bed.

Anton enters in a towel. Showered.

ANTON You have. The. Most. Amazing. Shower.

WALKER That’s usually not the compliment I get.

ANTON I love your apartment. Did you decorate it?

WALKER It was the model.

ANTON Oh. 32.

WALKER Do you want to spend the night?

ANTON No thank you, I have an early meeting tomorrow.

WALKER Great.

ANTON Does anyone ever want someone to spend the night?

WALKER Maybe that’s love.

ANTON I wouldn’t know. Have you ever been in love?

WALKER No.

ANTON Me neither. I read this thing once, People would never fall in love unless, oh God, I’m forgetting it. People would never fall in love if they never heard of it before.

WALKER La Rochefoucauld.

ANTON Excuse me?

WALKER That’s who said it. He was a French writer.

ANTON You’re very smart.

WALKER I have a good memory. It’s a party trick.

ANTON Do you think it’s true? 33.

WALKER I try not to answer serious questions aloud.

ANTON Why?

WALKER I need to send some emails out. I’m sorry.

A bar.

BRIAN Where did Jason go?

SCOTT I think he was talking to that girl?

BRIAN She was hot.

SCOTT No kidding.

BRIAN Jason always does well.

SCOTT I don’t do badly.

BRIAN No, no of course not. It’s just... I was reading this book that told me the way to get a girl is to like insult her a lot and then say something nice.

SCOTT I’d do better if I was taller.

BRIAN I was like, I’m never going to do that. I’m never going to start by insulting a girl. It was like PR Skills to use in dating.

SCOTT My mom wanted to put me on human growth hormones, but my dad said that was insane.

BRIAN Don’t you think sometimes, like I think, my life would be much better if I was just a worse person? 34.

SCOTT Our whole life would be different if I was five inches taller.

BRIAN SCOTT Don’t you agree? Don’t you agree?

BRIAN SCOTT Totally. Totally.

BRIAN Or maybe a yacht.

SCOTT I’d like a yacht.

Jason comes back.

JASON Hey guys.

BRIAN Did you talk to that girl?

JASON What?

SCOTT The blonde.

JASON Oh no. I had to pee. More drinks?

The office.

WALKER How was your weekend?

SCOTT Interesting.

BRIAN Depressing.

JASON I think I learned some things. 35.

WALKER Well, that’s all over the board. Thank you all for coming in early on a Monday. Before we start today, I want to talk to you about housing.

SCOTT Housing?

WALKER Specifically mortgages.

JASON I did that at Goldman.

WALKER I remember.

JASON What exactly do you want to know?

WALKER I think there’s something there.

SCOTT For us?

WALKER Yes.

SCOTT Does Frank know?

WALKER Actually...why do you ask that?

SCOTT I’m just curious.

WALKER Frank knows what he, knows. Listen we’re just doing some digging. I want you guys to look into some ideas, just ideas. I’d like you to focus on Orange County. Ever hear about it?

BRIAN “We’ve been on the run driving in the sun, looking out for number one” 36.

SCOTT JASON “California, here we come right back where “California, here we come right back where we started from.” we started from.”

BRIAN The O.C.

WALKER Now that you’ve finished, whatever that was, Orange County has the highest rate of mortgages in the United States, find out why.

SCOTT Roger that.

WALKER And don’t let this affect your other work.

JASON Yes boss.

Pause.

WALKER Get to work.

BRIAN

(On the phone) Hola, my name is Ryan Atwood and I’m looking for a loan to buy a house. Oh great. Okay, yeah the thing is I don’t have any money. Well, um, I’m homeless, but actually I’m like living with a wealthy family. The dad is a lawyer and he is kind of my guardian. Yeah I think he would sign my, um, loan. Yeah. So how much do you think I could get? Four Hundred Thousand Dollars. Fantastic. I’m gonna go ask him. Sandy! Sandy!

Scott hangs up the phone.

BRIAN This is a fucking bubble.

WALKER So here’s how it works.

SCOTT Hi, I’m Scott. I want to buy a home, but I don’t have money. 37.

BRIAN Hi, I’m a mortgage broker.

SCOTT Hello.

BRIAN Hello.

SCOTT I want some money to buy a house.

BRIAN Oh I can’t loan any money to you, you have no way to pay me back you fucking lazy bum.

JASON Hi, I’m a Wall Street investor. I’ve got investors who are stupid rich. They want to bet on things with astronomically high risk. Where can I get something with astronomically high risk? Wait a second. Ring ring.

BRIAN Hello.

JASON Hi, are you a mortgage broker?

BRIAN Yes, I am.

JASON Do you have people who want money to buy a house who have absolutely no way of paying it back?

BRIAN Well yes, but I’d never give loans to them.

JASON You should.

BRIAN Wait why? 38.

JASON Because I need something with high risk that would provide high interest rates for my clients.

BRIAN Are you sure?

JASON Don’t you get a commission on how much money you lend?

BRIAN Yes.

JASON Is that affected by how much money comes back?

BRIAN No.

JASON Give the guy a fucking loan.

BRIAN Hello.

SCOTT Hi?

BRIAN I want to give you that loan now.

SCOTT Why?

BRIAN Because Wall Street banks needs high interest yields.

SCOTT What the fuck does that mean?

BRIAN Shut the fuck up, here’s a hundred thousand dollars.

SCOTT Yay! 39.

BRIAN I did what you asked.

JASON Great. Can I have two of your clients that will probably pay back their mortgage.

BRIAN Um, why?

JASON I’m going to bundle those three clients together, the guy who will never pay and the two people who will, to offset the losses and then sell it to a guy in China.

BRIAN How is this legal?

JASON I have no fucking idea, but it is.

BRIAN Don’t you guys have agencies that grade all your transactions?

JASON We do. And they’re giving this an A plus rating.

BRIAN Why?

JASON I have no fucking idea. Don’t you love it?

BRIAN I’m sorry I can’t hear you, I’m driving a Porsche with the top down, up PCH. snorting coke off a hooker’s taint.

JASON Wahooo.

WALKER And this is why it’s a bubble and it’s going to collapse.

Frank looks up from the report.

FRANK This is speculation. I need hard facts. 40.

WALKER But you have to admit there is something here.

FRANK Like when Isaac Newton thought The South Sea Company was going to fold or Adolph Merkle?

WALKER Or like George Soros.

FRANK Real data. Real numbers. Not guess work.

WALKER I just need you to see the possibility.

FRANK What possibility?

WALKER That this is it. This is Jaws. This is Jurassic Park. This is what we’ve been waiting our whole lives for.

FRANK And what’s that?

WALKER A blockbuster.

A deli.

WALKER Why do we have to come here?

RICHARD I like the turkey sandwich.

WALKER I wanted to take you to the Modern. You’d like it.

RICHARD I like this.

WALKER Fine. 41.

RICHARD I only eat once a day, I want what I want.

WALKER You have the strangest eating habits.

RICHARD That’s why I’m not fat.

WALKER Okay.

RICHARD How much do you weigh?

WALKER Why?

RICHARD You can tell a lot about a man from how much he weighs.

WALKER I’m fine.

RICHARD Just wanted to know.

WALKER Says his weight.

RICHARD That’s good, but don’t let it get too much higher.

WALKER Thanks dad.

RICHARD How’s work?

WALKER Fine. The usual.

RICHARD What’s that? 42.

WALKER A lot of stuff. I don’t know. It’s technical. Just, you know hustling.

RICHARD I don’t.

WALKER I mean, I’ve got a lot going on, which is pretty typical.

RICHARD How’s your love life?

WALKER There’s not a lot of love in what I do.

RICHARD That’s sad. You need to find a nice boy to settle down with.

WALKER Not until I make my money.

Michael’s.

FRANKLIN Should we share the chopped salad?

FRANK Share?

FRANKLIN Guess not.

FRANK Dad?

FRANKLIN Yeah.

FRANK When you started your company. How many people said you were crazy?

FRANKLIN Your grandmother thought I was crazy until she died. Never got over why I didn’t become a doctor. 43.

FRANK You quit school to start a company. You didn’t have any money, any security. That was brave.

FRANKLIN I saw the version of myself I wanted to become and I pointed the ship straight there. I knew I was going to be a success.

FRANK But you could have failed.

FRANKLIN Never crossed my mind. I’m like Walker in that way. We just lead with our gut. You know?

FRANK Yes.

FRANKLIN That’s why you guys are such a good team together. It’s why you guys will be a huge success.

FRANK Because of Walker.

FRANKLIN Because you guys work perfectly together. You each have your own skill set. Put them together and you’re in business. Yes, we both want the chopped salad and I’ll have an iced tea.

FRANK Me too.

At the diner.

WALKER How was the drive in?

RICHARD Hardly any traffic. Mr. Hopkins and I/ talked the whole

WALKER I wish you’d call him Franklin. 44.

RICHARD He’s my employer.

WALKER He tells you to call him Franklin all the time.

RICHARD I like keeping a distance. I’m not friends with him like you are.

WALKER Fine. They asked us to get lunch with them.

RICHARD I like to be alone with my son. I hardly get to see you.

WALKER You know, I’m busy. But, I’m renting a house in Montauk this summer.

RICHARD Why?

WALKER It’ll be nice.

RICHARD Save your money. You have a house in the Hamptons, you don’t have to pay for.

WALKER Our apartment over the garage is not a house in the Hamptons. I was just thinking you should take some time off and go stay there.

RICHARD With you?

WALKER I’ll be out there on the weekends, so yeah, we could do something then. A friend of mine has a boat. We could go fishing.

RICHARD That sounds nice. What dates were you thinking?

WALKER I don’t have specific dates, this is all up in the air, I was just telling you some ideas.

Walker looks at his phone. 45.

RICHARD Well tell me when you have dates.

WALKER Listen, I have to take this.

RICHARD Okay.

WALKER

(On phone) Yeah. Yeah. No I don’t have those in front of me. Well no. Can I call you back in like, you know what. It’s fine. Hold on. Five minutes.

Hangs up the phone.

WALKER I got to go.

RICHARD Why don’t you see if you can get your lunch/ wrapped

WALKER It’s fine. We have food at the office. Take it home. You can have it for diner.

Walker exits.

RICHARD I only eat once a day.

At the office.

WALKER What do we have?

A chart.

SCOTT It’s a chart.

WALKER I see that. Of what?

BRIAN It’s a trend line. 46.

JASON So between 1975 and 2000, housing prices only climbed 1.4 percent.

SCOTT That’s nothing.

BRIAN Nothing.

JASON And then in 2001, after 9/11 they soar 7 percent because the only way the Fed thought they could make the economy recover is to let people buy their own home.

SCOTT You know how focused Bush is about that.

JASON So here’s the crazy thing.

BRIAN The super crazy thing.

JASON For it to go back to normal it MUST fall, to here, and that fall will be a catastrophe.

SCOTT It’s exactly like you predicted.

BRIAN You have to show it to Frank. He can’t debate this.

JASON This is cold hard facts.

WALKER Give it to me. This is going to be good.

Frank’s office.

FRANK This is...something.

WALKER Isn’t it. 47.

FRANK If this is right/

WALKER It’s right.

FRANK Can you imagine? What this means?

WALKER We’re going to see something we’ve never seen before.

FRANK How bad could this be?

WALKER It’s going to change everything.

FRANK Holy fuck.

WALKER Holy fuck is right.

FRANK So if we did something/

WALKER When we do something.

FRANK Tell me what you’re thinking in that mysterious brain of yours?

WALKER Well first, we need to be quiet because we don’t want someone else to figure this out.

FRANK That’s bad.

WALKER But if somebody else figured this out. We need to find them.

FRANK That’s good. Where do we start looking? 48.

WALKER We need to see who is betting against this.

FRANK There’s your first problem.

WALKER How do we bet against a housing market?

FRANK You can’t.

WALKER I’m working on it. Tools? Supplies?

FRANK Isn’t that small potatoes?

WALKER I’m thinking aloud.

FRANK We also have another enormous problem.

WALKER What’s that?

FRANK We’re a fund that deals in mergers.

WALKER In the past.

FRANK We told our investors, we do one thing, we can’t/ change our

WALKER We’re going to make them billions of dollars. Who cares if we’re doing mergers or murdering children?

FRANK I think they’d care about murdering children. 49.

WALKER Have you met our clients?

FRANK We need to see what the lawyers think.

WALKER Not all of them. Who can we trust?

FRANK I trust Darren.

WALKER Who’s Darren?

FRANK Darren. He’s tall. Wears ties.

WALKER That’s like every lawyer in town.

FRANK Like really bright ties.

WALKER Oh yeah. You trust him?

FRANK I do. He’s a Mormon.

WALKER Who would have guessed. Then be quiet, but see what we can do.

FRANK Well until we figure out a strategy of how to bet against the bubble, we don’t have anything.

WALKER So you admit there is a bubble?

FRANK I need to get going.

WALKER Come on. 50.

FRANK Big meeting with Emma at William S. Beslow.

WALKER That meeting.

FRANK Don’t give me that tone. Both our parents said it’s the only way.

WALKER You’re not going to sleep away camp, you’re getting married.

FRANK You’ll have a prenup too.

WALKER I will not.

FRANK When you finally decide to settle down, you’ll be a billionaire. You got to protect your assets.

WALKER I don’t think that’s how I love.

FRANK See you tomorrow.

WALKER I’m going to figure out how to do this.

FRANK I know. You’re the best in the business.

The lawyers.

LAWYER This is a list of the possessions each of your families want to be kept in their family.

EMMA Oh my God.

FRANK Emma, it’s fine.

They look at the list 51.

FRANK What? She doesn’t get to keep the house on Long Island?

LAWYER If she bears your children, she may live there until her death.

FRANK How generous.

EMMA What about adopted children?

LAWYER That’s not in the contract.

FRANK Oh my God put that in.

EMMA Now.

FRANK How are you feeling?

EMMA I want to get it over with.

LAWYER I know this is difficult, but separating is even more difficult. This ensures that everything is clear and easy, if you ever choose to separate.

FRANK But we never will.

LAWYER Mr. Hopkins, please forgive me, but every couple says that when they get married.

EMMA I love you. Let’s just run away to Vegas.

FRANK Our parents want this so badly. Let’s get this done and go to Nougatine to celebrate.

EMMA Fine. Where do I sign? 52.

At a meeting

FRANK If you sign, you’ll be with the best merger team in town. I think you can see Hopkins/Kane has an aggressive, yet sensible plan for your money.

CLIENT What do you think?

BRIAN Me?

CLIENT No. The one in the back? You there.

FRANK Walker.

CLIENT Yeah, Walker. You’re the math guy right.

WALKER Yep, I’m the math guy.

CLIENT So what do you think?

WALKER You should give us your money.

FRANK Because of all the reasons we’ve outlined, if you have any specific questions about models or/ anything

CLIENT No, I’m good. Thank you guys for your time.

The client leaves.

FRANK Brian will you leave us alone for a second.

BRIAN Sure.

Brian leaves. 53.

FRANK “Give us your fucking money.”

WALKER I didn’t say fucking, though I felt like it.

FRANK That man was about to give us forty million dollars.

WALKER He wasn’t.

FRANK He was.

WALKER I could tell the moment we came in, he wasn’t having it. He already has a merger firm, he wants a real estate firm.

FRANK No. No. Stop that.

WALKER What?

FRANK You don’t know any of that. You’re speculating.

WALKER That’s kind of our job.

FRANK No, our job is to get people’s confidence. That’s what this business is, people trusting in us, in you and me. And no one is going to believe the punk who sits in the back of the class taking a nap.

WALKER I wasn’t sleeping.

FRANK You had your eyes closed.

WALKER Only when I was thinking. 54.

FRANK About what?

WALKER How to fucking go after this bubble.

FRANK Bright tie Darren says we legally can’t change the mission of the fund without telling all our investors.

WALKER If we tell all of them, the word will get out what we’re trying to do.

FRANK I believe this is called a Catch-22.

WALKER We’re going to miss out on the biggest chance of our life time.

FRANK No we’re not, because we don’t even know how to bet against it. What was your idea, shorting a lumber company?

WALKER I was spitballing.

FRANK Home Depot, Lowes, John Dere

WALKER John Dere makes tractors. You’re such a rich kid.

FRANK Fuck you.

WALKER These banks take the mortgages and bundle them together and sell them. Right?

FRANK Correct.

WALKER They’re an item, so why can’t we take out a credit default swap on them, on the bundled debt? 55.

Frank thinks.

WALKER Well?

FRANK Give me a second.

WALKER Second’s up.

FRANK Because, well, no one has done it before.

WALKER Just because no one has done it before doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

FRANK That’s true in theory.

WALKER And that’s different from reality how?

FRANK Don’t be a cunt.

WALKER Who do we ask?

FRANK I’m going to dinner with Corey at Goldman.

WALKER Corey Roth?

FRANK Corey Stapleton?

WALKER He’s in insurance. That’s good.

FRANK I’ll ask him if they would set something like that up. 56.

WALKER Don’t ask him. Tell him. Tell him what we want to do.

FRANK I will. But you have to pitch at the next meeting.

WALKER You’re so much better.

FRANK But investors want to hear from you too.

WALKER Deal.

Masa

COREY I’m totally in love with her.

FRANK She’s a great girl.

COREY You didn’t ever/ date

FRANK No, oh no. I mean I flirted with her once or twice.

COREY As it should be, as it should be good man.

FRANK No, she’s really great. I think Emma and her are friends.

COREY I think they are. I think they’re on a board. A committee.

FRANK Of course.

COREY But so in love, we’re going skiing in Aspen together. You ever been? 57.

FRANK Love Little Nell.

COREY Got to love Little Nell.

FRANK Listen, I asked you to dinner for a reason.

COREY You didn’t just miss my smiling face?

FRANK Well yes, of course, and the fact that I feel absolutely no shame spending seven hundred dollars on sushi with you.

COREY We earned it.

FRANK Listen Walker is interested in buying some CDOs.

COREY Smart man. I was saying at a meeting/ today

FRANK Yes, but he wonders if we could make some deal. To insure against, well not against a company like usual, but to insure against the actual bundles of debt a company holds.

COREY Hmmmm. Nope. Nope not gonna work.

FRANK No?

COREY Well how much are we talking? A billion?

FRANK Corey, come on you know I don’t have that much capital.

COREY The kind of legal team you’d need to structure this would take like every person at Sullivan and Cromwell. I’d have to be a big buy. 58.

FRANK Got it.

COREY Tell Walker he’s out of luck.

FRANK Will do.

COREY Come on. Cheer up. Have some blowfish.

He does.

COREY That’s a thousand dollar piece of fish and one in a hundred are poisonous .

Frank spits it out.

FRANK Fuck.

At the office.

WALKER Fuck.

FRANK It can’t be done.

WALKER No it can, but with a lot of money.

FRANK Money we don’t have.

WALKER One of the big banks must be doing this in secret. Because if I had the money, I wouldn’t be showing my hand. Cause you can’t come out publicly and be like, oh by the way everything is going to turn to shit. You can’t say that.

FRANK It’s probably bad for business. 59.

WALKER Because as you say this is about trust.

FRANK The stock market is nothing except what we believe something’s value to be.

WALKER What if all the banks, all of them were are lining up for catastrophe?

FRANK And not telling their clients?

WALKER Did we tell our clients at Goldman anything?

FRANK No, we just told them to invest more money.

WALKER Well?

FRANK This would be so unethical.

WALKER For the banks. But not for us.

FRANK Let’s meet with some mortgage guys.

WALKER Really?

FRANK Let’s lie to them.

A boardroom.

MORTGAGE MAN Well this sounds very impressive.

WALKER We’re very impressed. 60.

FRANK Absolutely.

MORTGAGE MAN This would be a very big change in your guys portfolio.

WALKER But as we do the models and look at the stats, it’s the only correct outcome.

MORTGAGE MAN Well of course.

FRANK We only have a slight concern.

MORTGAGE MAN Of course.

WALKER Should we even bring it up?

FRANK Oh, no I guess not.

WALKER It’s so small.

MORTGAGE MAN No, please ask me.

FRANK Well..

MORTGAGE MAN Please, if we’re going to be doing business.

WALKER It’s just a small question.

FRANK Tiny.

MORTGAGE MAN Please, ask me. 61.

FRANK On mortgages you guys are leveraged thirty-five to one and it seems like forty percent of your clients will be unable to pay you back, don’t you think that the lending has grown out of hand to your original projections?

MORTGAGE MAN That’s your small question?

WALKER Define small.

MORTGAGE MAN Every model shows nothing but growth. I’m sorry, but how serious are you?

A bar.

FRANKLIN I’m hearing things.

FRANK What are you talking about?

FRANKLIN What are you guys up to?

FRANK Nothing.

FRANKLIN Someone said mortgages, but that can’t be you, you do mergers.

FRANK We might be testing something new.

FRANKLIN Son, what are you thinking?

FRANK We’re exploring. 62.

FRANKLIN Listen to me, this whole game, and never forget it’s a game, relies on confidence. If I’ve heard it, your investors will hear it soon, and if your investors think you’re changing strategy without telling them. That’s a break in confidence. If you don’t have your clients trust the whole business falls apart/

FRANK I know/

FRANKLIN Then what’s going on?

FRANK Well Walker thinks/

FRANKLIN You can’t let him walk on you.

FRANK He’s not walking on me.

FRANKLIN You need to be in charge too.

FRANK I am.

FRANKLIN You know what happened with me when the Stephen Rich scandal broke.

FRANK Of course.

FRANKLIN I handled his legitimate business, but because of his arrest, everyone thought that I was in on it too.

FRANK Dad, I know.

FRANKLIN Some people, still to this day. Think I’m crooked. It kills me.

FRANK Walker is not Stephen Rich. 63.

FRANKLIN No, but that tarnished me, for awhile, of course every year we get past it, the more people believe in me again, but that was a horrible time. I drank. Your mother almost left/ me.

FRANK I don’t want to hear this.

FRANKLIN It’s a a warning to you. If you screw over your clients, no worse, if your clients even think you’re screwing them over, it will hurt you.

FRANK I know.

FRANKLIN Don’t let Walker do something without telling your investors.

FRANK I know. Trust me.

FRANKLIN Fine, but don’t let this get out of hand.

FRANK It’s not out of hand.

FRANKLIN I can tell from the way you’re reacting that you don’t have a calm mind about this.

FRANK Jesus Christ

FRANKLIN See what I mean.

FRANK Sometimes dad, you’re just...

FRANKLIN What?

FRANK I feel my phone vibrating I think I need to get this.

FRANKLIN I don’t hear anything. 64.

FRANK You’re getting old. Maybe you need to get your ears checked.

Frank picks up his phone and walks away.

FRANK Hello imaginary person, what’s your emergency?

Party.

WALKER Hello.

HADLEY Hello.

WALKER It’s a party.

HADLEY It is.

WALKER So what do you do?

HADLEY Don’t you hate that?

WALKER What?

HADLEY When the first question someone asks you is, what you do?

WALKER Okay. How many people did John Wayne Gacy kill?

HADLEY Are you hitting on me?

WALKER 33 and yes.

HADLEY Does this work? 65.

WALKER Almost always.

HADLEY Wow.

WALKER I know 33 is a lot.

HADLEY How many did Ted Bundy kill?

WALKER 30.

HADLEY Jeffrey Dahmer?

WALKER 17.

HADLEY God is that even serial killer numbers?

WALKER You only have to do three.

HADLEY

(No way) Three?

WALKER I know.

HADLEY I could do three. Tonight.

WALKER Which three would you off?

Hadley looks into the audience. Picks someone.

WALKER That’s a good starter kill. 66.

HADLEY What? You don’t think it’s good enough?

WALKER Well, myself, I prefer a challenge.

HADLEY Do you now?

WALKER Well clearly I’m talking to you.

HADLEY Who would you choose?

Walker looks out into the audience.

WALKER There.

HADLEY

(Sadly) No.

WALKER Yeah.

HADLEY That’s really mean.

WALKER I’m a serial killer. I’m not a kindergarten teacher.

HADLEY Hopefully not.

WALKER No, really I’m a hedge fund manager.

HADLEY I think I would have preferred serial killer. 67.

WALKER It’s not that bad.

HADLEY It’s pretty bad. At least there’s an art to killing. Or so I’m told.

WALKER There is an art.

HADLEY Excuse me?

WALKER To what I do. There’s an art. Finding the patterns, predicting how the economy will move. It’s creative.

HADLEY Stealing money from the little people?

WALKER I’m not a bank. I steal money from big people, like billionaires.

HADLEY Oh well, they don’t need it.

WALKER Marx said dead capital was a vampire.

HADLEY That’s dramatic.

WALKER Well he was German.

HADLEY Wanna hear an inappropriate German joke?

WALKER The only kind I like.

HADLEY Why shouldn’t you discourage an untalented painter?

WALKER Why? 68.

HADLEY Hitler.

WALKER That’s pretty good.

HADLEY I know my boyfriend told it to me.

WALKER I take back my first kill. Where is this boyfriend?

HADLEY He’s not here.

WALKER You should be careful. He sounds mentally unstable.

HADLEY Compared to us?

WALKER No we’re disgusting, but we belong to each other.

HADLEY Right.

WALKER Seriously when you asked me how many people Ted Bundy killed I got an erection.

HADLEY This is disgusting.

WALKER I know, but disgusting in a multiple orgasm, eat ice cream on the kitchen floor, watch Channel 78.

HADLEY What’s Channel 78?

WALKER You don’t watch it?

HADLEY No. 69.

WALKER It’s amazing, it’s this channel of all the surveillance camera feeds around NYC, I lay in bed and watch, every fifteen seconds click Time Square, click, Lincoln Center, click, West Side Highway. It’s incredibly soothing / like

FRANK There you are.

EMMA Hello.

WALKER Hey guys.

EMMA Hello.

HADLEY Hi. I’m Hadley.

FRANK Nice to meet you.

EMMA Hi.

FRANK Can we borrow Walker?

WALKER Just give me one minute.

(To Hadley) Can I get your number?

HADLEY Like I said, boyfriend.

WALKER Can I get your e-mail?

HADLEY Boy. Friend.

WALKER Can I walk your dog? 70.

HADLEY I don’t have a dog.

WALKER I’ll buy you one.

HADLEY It was nice meeting you.

WALKER All right. I’ll find you.

HADLEY You’re a serial killer.

WALKER Oh come on.

Hadley exits.

FRANK Who was that?

WALKER What’s up?

FRANK Okay. We’re here on a mission.

WALKER I got your text.

FRANK We have to talk to Campion. He’s got ten million just laying around.

EMMA How long do we have to stay? I’m hungry. And he was cute.

FRANK This is important. We need to talk to him.

WALKER Listen, I wanted to tell you, I heard a rumor today there’s someone at Deutsche Bank. I don’t know who, but he’s looking into things like we are. 71.

FRANK Campion’s open now.

WALKER You’re not paying attention to me. We need to find this guy.

FRANK Let’s just focus on Campion.

WALKER Did you hear what I said about Deutsche Bank?

FRANK He’s almost done talking with that guy.

WALKER You’re not listening to me.

EMMA Should I leave?

FRANK No, stay. It’s no big deal.

WALKER It’s a huge deal.

EMMA I’m gonna find an hors d'oeuvre.

WALKER Why are you ignoring me?

Campion sees them.

CAMPION Frank.

FRANK Campion.

CAMPION Thank you for coming.

FRANK Your place is gorgeous. What is that, is that teak? 72.

CAMPION It’s willow.

FRANK Oh willow. And this is my business partner, Walker Kane.

WALKER Beautiful apartment.

CAMPION I designed it myself.

FRANK Really, you must give me some tips. I’m thinking of buying a place in Amagansett.

Walker looks at him. What?

CAMPION Must mean Kane and Hopkins are doing well.

FRANK We’re up three percent.

CAMPION Three?

FRANK Yes.

CAMPION I don’t get you guys.

FRANK What’s there not to get?

CAMPION I mean what are you guys trying to do, get a ten, eleven percent return. Can’t you do better than that? John Weber is doing twenty five percent for me. I’m gonna double my money in two years and you guys are, what exactly are you guys doing?

PARTY GUEST Campion! 73.

CAMPION If you’ll excuse me for a minute. Frank. Walker. Pleasure.

Campion exits.

WALKER This is exactly what I’ve been talking about.

FRANK Let’s not do this here.

WALKER I’ve been telling you/

FRANK I know, but keep your voice down.

WALKER We need to talk to this guy at Deutche Bank/

FRANK Be quiet.

WALKER Stop telling me to be quiet.

Walker throws the glass across the room. It shatters music stops.

WALKER Fuck.

Walker exits.

Frank goes to the bar.

EMMA Come on let’s go.

FRANK I need a drink.

EMMA Everyone is staring at us. 74.

FRANK I need a drink.

EMMA You’ve already had three.

FRANK Who are you my fucking mother?

EMMA Don’t be mean.

FRANK Don’t count my drinks.

EMMA Drink as much as you want.

FRANK Where are you going?

EMMA Home.

FRANK Fine.

EMMA Fine.

Emma exits.

Frank texts.

A strip club.

SCOTT Now that’s what I’m talking about.

JASON Holy shit, look over there.

SCOTT Oh no. 75.

BRIAN He actually came.

FRANK Hey guys.

SCOTT Hey.

FRANK This seems fun.

JASON It is.

FRANK Do you guys need another round?

BRIAN We’re doing bottle service.

FRANK Cool. I need a drink.

Frank sits down with them. Hmmm.

FRANK I wonder how much a tit job like that costs?

JASON Ten grand plus Post-Op.

BRIAN She’ll probably make that back in tips tonight.

SCOTT Good investment.

FRANK I wish we could get those returns.

SCOTT Well sometimes you have to do something drastic.

FRANK Was Cristal the one that said the racist thing? 76.

The office.

FRANK I brought you a coffee.

WALKER I already got one.

FRANK Good I need two.

Silence.

FRANK I went out with the boys.

Silence.

FRANK We have to talk.

WALKER About what?

FRANK Jesus Walker.

WALKER What?

FRANK You need to talk to me.

WALKER What have you found out about the guy at Deutsche Bank?

FRANK Nothing. You?

WALKER You’re the one with all the connections.

FRANK I have to keep this company running. 77.

WALKER And I have to go make money. Excuse me.

FRANK Have a fantastic day.

At dinner at 15 East

COREY I’m in love with my new BlackBerry, if I could figure out a way to fuck it I would.

FRANK How would Amy feel?

COREY I dumped Amy.

FRANK Why?

COREY I’m getting this really great place in Sag Harbor this summer and I just was doing the final inspection and I realized that Amy really didn’t go with the house. Like she’s great and maybe in a few years I’d marry her, but for the summer I want a really hot like Thai girl or Egyptian. Have you ever been with an Egyptian girl?

FRANK I have once in London.

COREY Was her name Cleopatra?

FRANK I think it was Doris.

COREY Anyway, the house has these great Balinese sliding doors. You have to come over.

FRANK I always think about renting a house. I stay with my parents, but I end up feeling like a little kid.

COREY Why? Their place is gigantic. 78.

FRANK Can’t have the wild parties like you.

COREY Do I throw the best parties?

FRANK You throw the best parties.

COREY Say it.

FRANK I just did.

COREY I can’t wait for the summer.

FRANK Listen, I have to ask you. Do you know something about a guy at Deutsche Bank doing something with CDOs.

COREY How the fuck did you hear about that?

FRANK So there is someone.

COREY It’s just talks right now, but we have a meeting next week.

FRANK What is it?

COREY I shouldn’t say anything.

FRANK Corey, come on. It’s me.

COREY Pay for dinner?

FRANK No. 79.

COREY They’re calling them synthetic.

FRANK Synthetic.

COREY Isn’t that kinky?

FRANK What do they do?

At the office.

FRANK It’s called a synthetic CDO. Synthetic CDOs are gonna be easier, and faster, and cheaper to create than traditional CDOs, because you don’t actually have the asset.

WALKER No way.

FRANK It’s a bet on the performance of mortgage.

WALKER That’s exactly what I asked for.

FRANK And they’re doing it.

WALKER Oh my God. This is it.

FRANK Just like you said.

WALKER How much should we start buying?

FRANK Well we need to look into it. Study up. Plan.

WALKER I have. My team has been doing the research. We’re ready to move on this. 80.

FRANK You’ve already planned this?

WALKER Yes.

FRANK When?

WALKER We are always prepared. For anything.

FRANK Without telling me?

WALKER I think every conversation we have has been like? “Frank, I want to do this.” “Walker, no you’re crazy.”

FRANK This is moving very fast.

WALKER I want a billion dollars.

FRANK The room is spinning.

WALKER This is the best news. Frank. We can do it. I got to go tell them.

The trading office.

WALKER They’re doing it.

SCOTT Exactly like you said.

WALKER We need to start making a game plan.

BRIAN What should we start selling? 81.

SCOTT I think we should unload a bunch of the stocks in our B portfolio.

JASON Lehman wanted some of that.

WALKER Wait. We need to present all this to Frank before we do anything major.

SCOTT Fuck him.

WALKER Wait a second, watch that.

BRIAN It’s all happening exactly like you said it would.

SCOTT He said it couldn’t be done and three months. Three fucking months later, fucking Goldman and Bear Sterns create the fucking things.

WALKER You need to put your personal things aside. I need you guys to start identifying what we’re going to buy, if we do this.

SCOTT When we do this.

The bar at The Four Seasons.

FRANKLIN You boys look good.

WALKER Thank you, Mr. Hopkins.

FRANK How was your day dad?

FRANKLIN Wonderful. Did you see Sytenex fell by seven?

A smile all around. 82.

FRANKLIN What is it that you needed to see me so badly.

WALKER We want to change our models.

FRANK We’re thinking of changing our models.

FRANKLIN My goodness.

WALKER I want to invest heavily in synthetic CDOs.

FRANK We’re thinking about it.

FRANKLIN Frank already mentioned this. I just don’t see why.

WALKER Because the housing market is going to collapse.

FRANKLIN When?

WALKER This year.

FRANK Maybe this year. We don’t know for sure.

FRANKLIN Jimmy, we need a round of drinks here. Boys, come on. You can’t be serious.

FRANK We’re just talking about it.

FRANKLIN Listen everyone knows there’s a slight bubble going on, especially in Southern California.

WALKER New Century. 83.

FRANKLIN Angelo Mozilo looks like an Italian lizard.

WALKER He’s giving loans to migrant farm workers. Migrants. Home loans.

FRANKLIN Yes fine, but every model we have at Goldman/ says...

WALKER Every model you have, I’m sorry to tell you is bullshit.

FRANK Walker.

WALKER Your models are based on loans made in the past what, decade? Two decades? This is a new world and you can’t look to history to explain it.

FRANKLIN Frank, your mother wants to know if you’ll be her date to Company next weekend.

FRANK I’ll check with Emma to see if we have plans.

WALKER Mr. Hopkins, I’m serious / about this

FRANKLIN Our drinks are here.

They raise them in a toast.

FRANKLIN To my boys. Who always make good decisions.

At the office.

WALKER What do you have for me?

SCOTT SAIL, Structured Asset Investment Loan Trust 84.

BRIAN SURF, Specialty Underwriting and Residential Finance Trust.

JASON HEAT, Home Equity Asset Trust.

WALKER These names are ridiculous.

SCOTT It’s Southern California.

WALKER This is good! Keep digging.

Frank’s office.

FRANK We have a meeting with a new investor tomorrow.

WALKER Fantastic, we’ve identified some of the mortgage bundles we want to bet against. They have the craziest names/ you’ve ever

FRANK Walker.

WALKER What?

FRANK Did you hear my dad?

WALKER Yeah. Remind me to never get old.

FRANK That isn’t very polite.

WALKER He’s stuck in the past. It’s a new world.

FRANK My father is one of the most respected men in this business. 85.

WALKER Yes, for what he did. A hundred years ago. Your dad was a broker in the dark ages. We’re talking Carter. He made his money in that racket with Stephen Rich.

FRANK It wasn’t a racket.

WALKER You know what I mean.

FRANK You just don’t sound very grateful towards my dad.

WALKER Grateful?

FRANK Yeah.

WALKER Excuse me.

FRANK For everything he’s done. For us.

WALKER For us.

FRANK For us. We wouldn’t have this firm if my dad didn’t convince people to come here.

WALKER Okay. Play it that way.

FRANK What way?

WALKER Like you are little boy.

FRANK Little boy. 86.

WALKER What else can I call you. You’re ready to do this and then one talk with daddy/ and

FRANK I wasn’t ready to do this. I was thinking about doing it.

WALKER Until your dad talked you out of it.

FRANK I made up my own mind.

WALKER Really?

FRANK I’m my own man.

WALKER Prove it.

FRANK By doing exactly what you want? That doesn’t sound very manly to me. Just giving into your ego.

WALKER What’s really behind all this?

FRANK Fear of loosing all our money.

WALKER You can’t be afraid.

FRANK What happens if you’re wrong? Please Walker Kane just think for a moment what it would be like to fail. Can you do that for me?

WALKER Okay.

FRANK Well.

WALKER It’s taking some time to think. It’s not a place I go very often. 87.

FRANK Imagine the disgrace, all the guys back at Goldman/ your

WALKER I don’t feel anything.

FRANK What do you mean?

WALKER So we fail? I don’t care what those people think of me. So we work harder. We start the next venture.

FRANK We can’t bet the house. That’s just too much risk.

WALKER How much?

FRANK Maybe we can find a few million to do this.

WALKER A few million

FRANK Ten million dollars. To see. To try this out. We’ve never done anything like this before. No one has. Let’s start with training wheels.

WALKER I’ll show you. I’ll take that ten million and turn it into a hundred.

The Mark Bar.

FRANKLIN How much did you loose?

WALKER Twenty million. The fucking Feds. They fucking raised inflation.

FRANKLIN They can do that.

WALKER If I had the money I could tell them not to. 88.

FRANKLIN Have a drink.

WALKER Sometimes you don’t get it right on the first bet.

FRANKLIN Maybe.

WALKER Frank says it’s back to mergers for us.

FRANKLIN I know.

WALKER But I know. I feel it. I can’t even describe what right feels like. I know with such certainty in a way that, and pardon me if this sounds extreme, but in a way that some people must believe in God. I know the market, I know our economy like it is me. I know what it is going to do. I’ve prepared my whole life for this moment. I’m not going to be wrong.

FRANKLIN How much do you need?

WALKER A billion dollars.

FRANKLIN Walker.

WALKER You’ve known me since I was a little boy. You showed me this world. Do you remember the hours we spent? I would come to your office in the city and you took me to the floor of the stock exchange. You taught me everything.

FRANKLIN You taught me too. You were an incredible student.

WALKER I’m right about this. Dear God I’m right about this.

FRANKLIN I can’t give you any money, Walker. 89.

WALKER I know.

FRANKLIN But I know someone who might. But you have to make the decision to call him.

WALKER Why?

FRANKLIN This is between you and I. Do you understand? Just you and I.

WALKER Just you and I.

Franklin writes on a piece of paper.

He hands it to Walker.

WALKER I see.

FRANKLIN He’ll like this idea.

WALKER Thank you. I should probably go start on this.

FRANKLIN Of course.

Walker exits.

Walker comes back on. He hugs Franklin.

A park.

WALKER Thank you for coming. I’m sorry to call you guys out of the office and so early.

JASON It doesn’t matter.

WALKER We’re going to do this. I have the money. 90.

BRIAN How much?

WALKER I have sixty million.

SCOTT We can work with that.

WALKER But I’m not putting it in the company. What I’m telling you right now could send me to jail. I’m trusting the three of you with everything.

BRIAN You think we’d ever turn on you boss.

WALKER Of course not. I’d put my life in your guys hands, you know that. I need you guys to look through the contract. To see, well to see if we can change some things.

SCOTT Get Frank the fuck out.

WALKER I didn’t say that. Technically.

SCOTT Okay.

WALKER We know a collapse is coming. It’s going to change everything. We need to be prepared and we need to be ready.

BRIAN Of course.

WALKER Okay. I think I’ve said enough. See you at the office.

Walker exits.

SCOTT Thank fucking God. I’ve been waiting for this for years. 91.

The office.

FRANK Where have you been?

WALKER Thinking.

FRANK We have a pitch today at four. The H&Y Trust with Berkus Limited.

WALKER Great.

FRANK The file is on your desk.

WALKER I’ll go over it.

FRANK Good.

They stare at each other.

WALKER Have a nice day.

FRANK You too.

Walker goes to his desk. The traders are there.

WALKER All right let’s fire up.

They sit down.

JASON

(Loud) Okay the numbers are in for the B&X Merger. 92.

(Quiet) Look at SURF.

JASON And it’s tracking at 14.6.

SCOTT I’m focusing over here on

(Quiet) Shit look over here are/

JASON 14.8.

FRANK Hey it’s Frank Hopkins, of course I’ll look into that. How much do you want for it?

JASON 14.6.

WALKER

(Loud) Hold on a second guys.

(To phone) Hey yeah did you track him down for me? Cool. E-mail it. Bye.

(to Guys, loud) I want to see a projection for this here.

(Quiet) What do we have on SURF?

BRIAN

(Quiet) We have a projection of SURF.

WALKER No, I want to see a projection for B&X.

(Quiet) And on SURF. 93.

SCOTT Can he even hear us?

FRANK Let me go check on that. I’ll call back in five.

WALKER This is looking good are we talking to Lehman on this?

JASON I’ve got Richard on the phone.

WALKER Okay and we’re moving on it.

JASON

(Quiet) Okay look at this right here on SURF/

Frank walks in.

JASON

(Louder) Look at Apple!

Awkward.

WALKER Hey.

FRANK Hey. Everything okay.

WALKER Of course.

FRANK I’ve got Oak Wood on the phone they want to buy half our shares of TEF.

WALKER Okay, give me a minute. Scott that’s yours.

SCOTT It is. 94.

WALKER Thoughts?

SCOTT We were going to keep it until it fell bellow 20.

WALKER So no?

SCOTT No.

FRANK Okay I’ll tell them.

WALKER Do you want to sell it to them?

FRANK They’ve been hard on us in the past. I’d like them to owe us.

WALKER Scott, thoughts?

SCOTT Sure.

JASON Oh my God!

WALKER SCOTT What? What?

JASON Oh nothing.

WALKER Tell them we’ll give them a quarter.

FRANK Good plan.

SCOTT I’ll get it ready. 95.

WALKER Thanks.

FRANK Okay. Bye.

Frank exits, but pauses by the door.

JASON BRIAN

(Quiet) (Quiet) Look at SURF. Look at SURF

SCOTT WALKER

(Loud) (Loud) Jesus. Jesus.

Frank opens the door.

Silence.

WALKER Well show it to him Brian.

BRIAN What?

SCOTT Come on.

WALKER I mean who sends naked pictures at nine in the morning.

FRANK Oh God was this the girl from the club?

BRIAN It is.

FRANK I want to see it.

SCOTT Wait take a look at B&X. 96.

FRANK Shit okay, after work.

Frank exits.

BRIAN How’d you know she sent me her pics?

WALKER Just keep going.

(To phone) Hey what’s the most expensive arrangement you guys have? I need you to send it to this address.

FRANK They’ll give you a quarter.

SCOTT Okay I’m sending the confirmation.

BRIAN I need you guys to look at this.

JASON I’m moving on STW.

WALKER Thanks. And I want it there within the hour? That’s fine. You have my AmEx on file.

SCOTT They’re going to the press conference, can we move to that.

FRANK Hey, dad can I get Barry’s number?

SCOTT They’re announcing it officially.

BRIAN Here comes the stock.

JASON & BRIAN & SCOTT &WALKER Yes! 97.

WALKER And we’re off.

DELIVERY MAN Are you Hadley Fox?

HADLEY Yes.

DELIVERY MAN These are for you.

HADLEY It looks like a funeral.

FRANK Hey Barry, Frank Hopkins. No. No. Not that one. I’m his son.

WALKER How is the news affecting LNX.

JASON Like we predicted. We’re buying more right now.

BRIAN Fuck I have to pee.

SCOTT It’s only nine fifteen.

BRIAN I couldn’t sleep last night. I had that sleepy tea.

SCOTT Are you serious?

BRIAN Wait look at how this affecting COR.

JASON I’m moving on it.

Walker’s phone rings. 98.

WALKER Walker Kane.

HADLEY Hey it’s Hadley Fox.

WALKER Well hello.

HADLEY I don’t like roses.

WALKER Everyone likes roses.

HADLEY Please, is there someone were I can return this too?

WALKER Of course not.

(To the guys) Look at LNX.

HADLEY How did you know where I worked?

WALKER I hired a private eye.

HADLEY You’re joking.

WALKER It’s on LinkedIn.

HADLEY I have a boyfriend.

WALKER One date.

HADLEY That’s cheating. 99.

WALKER I didn’t mean sex.

HADLEY Neither did I.

WALKER You’re an architect.

HADLEY A junior associate.

WALKER Well I want to build a house. Want to design it?

HADLEY Come on.

WALKER I’m being serious.

JASON Boss look at this.

WALKER Listen I have to go. Let’s schedule a meeting to talk about houses.

HADLEY This is totally unethical/ to

WALKER Come on. Do you know how I.M. Pei got his start? Total slut.

JASON Boss.

WALKER Got to go.

Walker hangs up.

WALKER What am I looking at. 100.

JASON

(Quiet) SURF.

WALKER Shit.

SCOTT

(Loud) We would have made two million dollars if we’d had money on it.

WALKER Jesus.

A boardroom.

FRANK So with the holdings of H&Y Trust, the way this is going to break down is advantageous to your position in the market.

BARRY That’s great.

FRANK And if you look at Berkus Limited’s last quarter. It’s on page 7.

WALKER Frank, Can I interject?

FRANK Of course. My partner Walker Kane.

WALKER Hello Mr. Greene.

BARRY Call me Barry.

WALKER Okay Barry, who the fuck are you?

BARRY Excuse me. 101.

FRANK Walker?

WALKER What do you want from money?

FRANK Walker?

BARRY Um.

WALKER Do you want a bigger house in the Hamptons? A bigger penthouse in Tribeca? Your kids to live like kings? A yacht in the Mediterranean?

BARRY Well that all sounds good.

WALKER Really? Cause it doesn’t to me. That’s all a bunch of shit.

FRANK Walker. 102.

WALKER FRANK You see I’m leaving Hopkins Kane to go What? out on my own, because I want real wealth. How about the ability to elect Presidents? Walker? How about the ability to change education? Campaign finance reform? Terrorism in the You can’t be serious. middle east, because there are men just like you and I who do this every day. They wake up every morning and they create the world exactly how they want it. Any fucking fool with a law degree can have a boat. They sink. Wealth influences history. And I look at you and I know you want it, no you don’t want it, you’re dying for it because we’re the same. You and I. We want the same thing and here’s the deal. Together we can open this door for both of us. We can choose who the next president is, what regime will topple in Africa, how Palestine will treat Israel. It can be up to us, with some funds from your checking account and some strokes on my keyboard the fucking world is ours. What do you say?

BARRY How?

WALKER I thought you’d never ask. 103.

End of Act One. 104.

ACT TWO

THE PENTHOUSE

2010 105.

“Bad Romance” blares.

Home gym.

Walker, Hadley and their Trainer work out.

TRAINER Work it. Come on. That’s it. Amazing. Push it harder. 10.

TRAINER 9

BRAIN Bloomberg wants to interview/

WALKER Later.

TRAINER 8

JASON The Core Club is offering/ you

WALKER Give me five.

TRAINER 7

ASSISTANT Your father is on/ the

WALKER I’ll call him back.

TRAINER 6

BRAIN The President wants/ to talk

WALKER Later. 106.

HADLEY Walker.

TRAINER 5!

WALKER Come on.

TRAINER 4

JASON Your decorator wants you to pick.

WALKER That one.

HADLEY Hey.

WALKER That one.

TRAINER 3

BRAIN JASON Buffet emailed Buffet emailed

WALKER Make him wait.

TRAINER 2

ASSISTANT The President wants to schedule a call.

TRAINER 1

They both collapse.

An assistant comes in with protein shakes. 107.

WALKER I’ll deal with it later.

Scott enters.

SCOTT I need to talk to you.

WALKER What’s up?

SCOTT Good morning Hadley.

HADLEY Morning Scott.

SCOTT Can I talk to Walker in private?

HADLEY Of course. I liked the other one better.

WALKER Whatever you want.

They kiss.

Hadley and Trainer exit.

WALKER What’s wrong?

SCOTT The SEC is looking into Goldman.

WALKER No fucking way.

SCOTT It happening. They’re going after Wall Street.

WALKER Officially? 108.

SCOTT Not yet.

WALKER How do you know?

SCOTT Does it matter?

Thinks.

WALKER No.

SCOTT It’s quiet right now, I don’t think Goldman knows.

WALKER What are they going after?

SCOTT They’re going after Abacus.

WALKER Excuse me?

SCOTT Abacus.

WALKER But that’s our deal.

SCOTT I know.

WALKER So they’re coming after me.

Dinning room.

WALKER What have you guys found out?

BRIAN There’s a new guy at the SEC, Robert Khuzami. 109.

WALKER Never heard of him.

JASON Because the SEC is a joke.

BRIAN The last person who held his position resigned because of Madoff.

JASON So he’s trying to look bullish.

WALKER Why do I know that name? Robert Khuzami?

SCOTT They’re going to Goldman next week.

WALKER Jesus, you sure Goldman doesn’t know right now?

SCOTT Well not as of this morning, but who knows who will leak it.

WALKER Do you think we should warn them?

SCOTT If this becomes a battle between you and Goldman they could use it against you.

WALKER I should warn Franklin.

BRIAN After what he did to us?

WALKER No, Frank Senior.

JASON I wouldn’t risk it boss.

SCOTT You need to prepare for the worst. 110.

BRIAN We should draw up a letter though to send to the investors to have ready.

WALKER Get started on that.

SCOTT I’m going to talk to my contact see what else I can find out.

WALKER What the fuck do we say? Abacus is perfectly legal.

Silence.

SCOTT Can I guess?

WALKER I’d like you to know, but since you guys haven’t found out jack shit/

SCOTT I found out before it was on the front page of The New York Times.

WALKER Go on.

SCOTT So when we were using the CDOs to bet against certain stocks.

BRIAN We know what we did.

SCOTT Okay, but for example when we were betting against SURF, with the help of Goldman. Goldman knew SURF was going to sink/

JASON That was just painful.

WALKER No puns before eight am. 111.

SCOTT Sorry. Well Goldman told their investors to buy SURF, so Goldman and us could make money on it.

BRIAN We’ve all done that when we worked at banks.

JASON And that’s perfectly legal.

SCOTT Yes it is legal, but I think the question the SEC and Elizabeth Warren and Obama will ask is, is it moral?

BRIAN I have no idea what you’re talking about.

WALKER If they want a fight, fine. But we are going to crush those motherfuckers.

Goldman

FRANK You wanted to see me dad?

FRANKLIN Hey.

FRANK Hello.

FRANKLIN We’re wearing the same tie.

FRANK Oh. We are.

FRANKLIN Did your mother buy it for you?

FRANK She did.

FRANKLIN Yes well. 112.

FRANK This is embarrassing.

FRANKLIN I think it’s charming. Father and son.

FRANK What did you want to talk to me about?

FRANKLIN Close the door.

He does.

FRANKLIN The SEC is going to investigate Abacus.

FRANK Fuuuuuck

FRANKLIN Exactly.

FRANK Oh my God. Does Walker know?

FRANKLIN No. No one knows.

FRANK How do you know?

FRANKLIN I’ve been in this business too long, not to have friends at the SEC.

FRANK Well then them to stop.

FRANKLIN They’re not that good of friends.

FRANK What could they possibly be investigating?

FRANKLIN You can’t be serious. 113.

FRANK I mean I think I know what they’re investigating.

FRANKLIN We sold our clients shit stocks.

FRANK But we do that all the time.

FRANKLIN Yes, but these shit stocks happened to destroy the United States economy.

FRANK Like we could have predicted that.

FRANKLIN Someone did.

FRANK I see.

FRANKLIN They’re going to find you eventually.

FRANK Jesus.

FRANKLIN And they’re gonna want to know what you know.

FRANK Oh.

FRANKLIN What do you know?

FRANK Nothing.

FRANKLIN Nothing?

FRANK What do I do? 114.

FRANKLIN We need to see how they handle this.

This transcript is from CNBC’s breaking report April 2010.

ANCHOR Shares of Goldman Sachs getting crunched after a stunning move by the SEC today, the commission charging Goldman itself with fraud. The bank misstated and omitted critical facts about a financial product tied to those sub-prime mortgage, Scott Cohen is following the story, he’s at the breaking news desk.

REPORTER Dennis, one of the storied firms on Walls Street Goldman Sachs charged with...activities that if they are true, um, really could tell us how the housing market and the underlying debt market all came apart in 2007/2008 and continuing to this day. The SEC charging Goldman Sachs with structuring a portfolio of mortgages that was handpicked by a hedgefund/

WALKER Fuck.

SCOTT How can they say that. It sounds like they’re charging us. They’re not.

WALKER The media is.

BRIAN I have the letters ready for our clients.

SCOTT Send them. Now. Go. Faster.

BRIAN I did.

SCOTT Look, look. It’s the SEC press conference.

Transcript from CNBC with the press conference. 115.

ANCHOR I’m sorry, but we need to get straight to this cause this is Robert Khuzami. He just spoke at a conference in New Orleans, the SEC director of enforcement and he finally spoke here he is.

ROBERT Provide the proper and full disclosure that securities laws require or, um, um, face the consequences.

REPORTER The investors in these synthetic CDOs were perfectly capable if they wanted to of looking at what the underlying collateral was.

JASON Thank God!

BRIAN Exactly!

REPORTER They could see what it was, wouldn’t they have been in a position in terms of disclosure of releasing or make a decisions in they wanted to participate.

FRANKLIN That’s a good point. We need to drive that point home.

ROBERT As you see from our complaint, one of the investors specifically asked for an independent third party objective collateral manager to assist in the collection of the portfolio.

WALKER FRANK Me. Walker.

WALKER Get my lawyer on the phone.

ASSISTANT Mr. Kane, your lawyer just called. They’re downstairs waiting for the elevator.

Lawyer’s Office.

Frank and Emma sit with their respective lawyers.

EMMA’S LAWYER Mrs. Hopkins would like the silver Tiffany bowl. 116.

Frank whispers in his lawyer’s ear.

FRANK’S LAWYER Mr. Hopkins says that it fine if she compensates him the value of the bowl.

Emma whisper’s in her lawyers ear.

Emma’s lawyer whispers in her ear.

She shakes her head.

EMMA’S LAWYER That will be fine.

FRANK’S LAWYER Moving on. You have made a request for Mr. Hopkins to return the wedding present Mrs. Hopkins gave him. We deny this request.

EMMA What.

Emma’s lawyer whispers in her ear.

EMMA’S LAWYER We are willing to pay Mr. Hopkins for the watch. It is not worth much.

FRANK’S LAWYER My client believes the watch to hold sentimental value greater than any monetary compensation. We would like to point out that the watch was a gift.

EMMA’S LAWYER Yes, but it was Mrs. Hopkin’s grandfathers so you could argue to sentimental value is greater to her.

FRANK’S LAWYER You could, but I would instruct you to tell your client what a gift means.

EMMA’S LAWYER You know I think you should/

Emma and Frank whisper in their lawyer’s ears to talk them down.

FRANK’S LAWYER We can move on and come back to this matter. 117.

EMMA’S LAWYER That is fine.

FRANK’S LAWYER There is another thing that has come to our attention. Mrs. Hopkins is living with a man.

Emma looks at Frank with rage.

She whispers in her laywers ear.

EMMA’S LAWYER My client would like to be referred to by her maiden name Ms. Sanders.

FRANK’S LAWYER I can’t do that, since the divorce is not final. Her name is still Mrs. Hopkins.

EMMA’S LAWYER I would like to point out that Ms. Sanders never used her married name for anything other than tax documents.

Frank whispers in his lawyers ear.

FRANK’S LAWYER Sorry we must call her Mrs. Klein for consistency.

Emma flips Frank off.

FRANK’S LAWYER Please stop your client now.

Emma’s lawyer whispers in her ear.

FRANK’S LAWYER And my client would like a formal apology for your clients/

EMMA’S LAWYER Oh come off it./ This is

FRANK’S LAWYER That was hostile behavior. I could take that to the/ judge

EMMA’S LAWYER Oh please.

FRANK Let’s move on! 118.

Everyone regroups.

FRANK’S LAWYER Because Mrs. Kane is now involved with Jonathan Tucker we see no reason to supply her with the alimony outlined in the original prenup because it seems Mrs. Kane has violated her monogamous relationship with/

EMMA You have got to be kidding me.

EMMA’S LAWYER Please Emma.

EMMA I’m done. I’m sorry. Fuck you.

Emma storms out followed by her lawyer.

FRANK’S LAWYER That went very well.

FRANK Did it?

FRANK’S LAWYER Oh yeah. You’re getting under her skin. That’s good.

Walker’s living room

LAWYER The claims specifically says they are not charging you.

WALKER That’s good.

LAWYER We have written up a statement.

WALKER Let me look it over.

Hadley enters.

HADLEY Honey? 119.

WALKER Hey.

HADLEY What’s... going on?

WALKER Nothing.

HADLEY Nothing?

WALKER Can we talk about it in ten minutes?

HADLEY We have tickets to the Opera.

WALKER

(To Hadley) Fantastic.

HADLEY You need to change.

WALKER I will. I will.

HADLEY Okay.

Hadley exits.

WALKER

(To Lawyer) This is good. Release this.

Press conference.

LAWYER As the SEC said at its press conference, Mr. Kane is not the subject of this complaint, made no misrepresentations and is not the subject of any charges. 120.

While Mr. Kane purchased credit protection from Goldman Sachs on securities issued under the ABACUS ABS CDO program, we were not involved in the marketing of any ABACUS products to any third parties. ACA as collateral manager had sole authority over the selection of all collateral in the CDO, securities of which were subsequently rated AAA by both S&P and Moody's. Mr. Kane did not sponsor or initiate Goldman's ABACUS program. We will not be taking questions at this time.

Met Opera.

Parterre. Box 29.

Walker on his phone.

HADLEY Honey?

WALKER Yeah.

HADLEY Can you put that down?

WALKER One minute.

HADLEY Honey/

WALKER Done. It’s over. Turning it off.

HADLEY You have another one in the other pocket.

WALKER Well that’s for emergencies.

HADLEY You’re the worst.

WALKER Did I tell you how beautiful you look in a tuxedo. Can I ravish you in the coat closet? 121.

HADLEY What’s going on at work?

WALKER Oh nothing.

HADLEY Nothing? It seemed very tense.

WALKER Just the usual. Tell me about your work. How’s the house in New Canaan coming?

HADLEY Great. We have the walk through tomorrow with the clients.

WALKER They’re going to love it.

HADLEY Oh who knows. They’ve changed the marble in the bathroom, twelve times.

WALKER Sounds like someone I know?

HADLEY Are you sure there’s nothing going on at work?

WALKER No, I’m fine. You know that. I just don’t want you to worry.

HADLEY I won’t worry, but I wish you’d share things more with me. I tell you everything about my job/ and

WALKER That’s cause it’s so fascinating. You’re the best architect in the world.

HADLEY Well.

WALKER You’re going to be. Already one of the top in the city after two years at your own firm/

HADLEY Thanks to you. 122.

WALKER No, thanks to your talent. I opened a door, but you had to perform and you did.

HADLEY But what about your fund.

WALKER It’s so boring. I talk about it all day the last thing I want to do is burden you. I want to be at the opera with the man I love and, oh here it is. The best part of New York City. The chandeliers going up.

HADLEY Is anything more romantic?

WALKER Want to get married?

HADLEY Excuse me?

WALKER Want to get married?

The overture begins.

A meeting.

ROBERT Mr. Hopkins.

FRANK Hello.

ROBERT Thank you for meeting with me.

FRANK Well your assistant threatened to subpoena me. That’s a horrible word, “Subpoena”.

ROBERT Care to sit down.

FRANK Like I have a choice. 123.

ROBERT Of course you do, it’s a free country. Until you do something wrong.

FRANK Okay, sittin’ down.

ROBERT Will you take a look at this.

Hands him a piece of paper.

ROBERT Do you know what that is?

FRANK I believe that is a restaurant receipt.

ROBERT Very good. It is indeed a receipt for a dinner at Masa. Located at 10 Columbus Circle. Is that at The Shops there?

FRANK Yeah.

ROBERT Is it good?

FRANK Very.

ROBERT That’s good. Since you spent six thousand dollars on dinner on the night of February 17, 2006.

FRANK Well I split it.

ROBERT That’s right you had a date. Corey Stapleton.

FRANK Yes.

ROBERT Was this dinner about anything in particular.? 124.

FRANK Corey and I worked at Goldman together, when we graduated from college.

ROBERT And where do you work now?

FRANK JP Morgan.

ROBERT So just work colleagues out for some dinner.

FRANK That is correct.

ROBERT You guys didn’t discuss anything in particular?

FRANK A woman to match the house.

ROBERT Excuse me?

FRANK Nothing. Maybe that wasn’t that dinner. I’m sorry it was a long time ago and Corey and I went to a lot of dinners.

ROBERT Recently.

FRANK No. He’s not at Goldman anymore.

ROBERT Did you ask Mr. Stapleton about a CDO that would allow you to bundle mortgages and then to short against that bundle?

FRANK May I have a glass of water?

ROBERT Certainly. 125.

FRANK And a lawyer.

Living room

WALKER Have we heard from Goldman?

SCOTT I don’t think so.

BRIAN My friends say they’re scrambling for a plan.

JASON I drove by the offices. There are protestors. One signs says arrest Lloyd Blankfein.

WALKER God, I’d love to see that.

SCOTT His little egg head pushed into a cop car.

BRIAN Christmas could come early.

Everyone’s cell phone rings.

SCOTT What? Turn on the TV. Now.

They watch.

ANNOUNCER In a shocking twist to the story, Kane Capital is now being included in the SEC’s case against Goldman Sachs. The SEC alleges that Walker Kane created the CDO’s at the heart of the case, to explain CDO’s we/ turn over to

WALKER Turn it off.

They do. 126.

SCOTT We’ll murder them.

JASON They can’t do this.

BRIAN It’s fucking un-American.

SCOTT We need to fight back.

JASON Who can we call

BRIAN We need to talk to the Bloomberg and Obama teams. You gave enough money last year.

JASON Bloomberg gave you a fucking award last year.

WALKER Calm down boys, calm down. It’s going to be fine. This is just... posturing.

SCOTT It’s illegal that’s what it is.

WALKER Of course it is. We know we didn’t do anything wrong. Brian you had a very good suggestions. We’ve been preparing for something like this for a long time. We’ve given money to the right people and charities, we’ve done this. Now it’s time to call in all those favours.

BRIAN I’ll get right on it.

A phone.

JASON It’s your lawyers on the phone.

WALKER What do they want?

JASON They want a meeting. 127.

WALKER Fine. Get, what’s her name in, hello!

Assistant enters.

WALKER There you are, I need you to take this call.

ASSISTANT Of course, Sir, it’s just a Mr. Hopkins is here to see you.

They all look at each other.

WALKER Which one?

ASSISTANT I don’t, is there more than one?

WALKER How old is he?

WALKER Your age.

SCOTT What the fuck is he doing here?

BRIAN What are you going to do?

SCOTT You can’t see him.

JASON I’ll go talk to him.

WALKER No. Tell him I’ll meet him in the Park. First bench.

ASSISTANT Okay.

Assistant exits. 128.

BRIAN What are you going to do?

WALKER I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since we split.

JASON You know this has to be him. Getting revenge.

SCOTT That piece of shit.

BRIAN Seriously can we go beat him up?

WALKER No. Calm down. Carry on with what you were doing. I’ll see what he wants.

SCOTT Check him for a wire.

WALKER Please.

SCOTT You can’t be too careful.

BRIAN Do you want us to come with you?

WALKER No. I’m fine. Deal with the lawyers.

Walker exits.

JASON Jesus Christ. This is a nightmare.

BRIAN Hi I need to talk with Chuck.

SCOTT Larry this is Scott. We need some favors. And don’t forget how much you owe us.

A park. 129.

FRANK Hello.

WALKER Hi.

FRANK How are you doing? It’s been/ such a long time?

WALKER They’re charging me.

FRANK What?

WALKER Like you don’t know.

FRANK I didn’t.

WALKER Come off it/

FRANK When did it happen?

WALKER Right now, it’s all over the news.

FRANK But I just left him.

WALKER What are you talking about?

FRANK Robert Kusamo, Kusami, you know, I just left him.

WALKER And what the fuck did you say.

FRANK Nothing. 130.

WALKER Yeah right.

FRANK I didn’t.

WALKER Why should I believe you?

FRANK I don’t know, maybe because I’m not the one who stabs people in the backs. That’s your job.

WALKER So you admit you hold a grudge.

FRANK Hold a grudge.

WALKER And you got your opportunity.

FRANK No.

WALKER Come off it.

FRANK They wanted me too.

WALKER What?

FRANK They asked me all about when you got the idea and how you got the idea.

WALKER Jesus, but the idea is legal. It’s not like I was doing anything wrong.

FRANK Exactly.

WALKER And I mean when we were talking/ 131.

FRANK Uh-huh.

WALKER Wait a second.

Walker goes and starts feeling up Frank.

FRANK What are you? What are you? Stop?

WALKER Are you wearing a wire?

FRANK Are you kidding?

WALKER Take off your shirt.

FRANK It’s winter.

WALKER Do it.

FRANK What does my dad always say, all a man has is trust.

WALKER Yeah, well trust, but verify is my new motto.

FRANK Fine. Fuck you.

Frank takes off his shirt.

No wire.

Frank begins to shiver.

WALKER Jesus. Put your clothes back on. 132.

FRANK I didn’t snitch on you.

WALKER Really?

FRANK Of course not.

WALKER Of course.

FRANK Who do you think I am?

WALKER The man who went after every single one of our investors to tell them what a loose canon I was.

FRANK Well am.

WALKER You told Blaine Capital that I was a unstable.

FRANK Not in so many words. But tell me you wouldn’t do the same.

WALKER Oh of course.

FRANK Of course.

WALKER If I was in your place I’d turn you into the SEC.

FRANK Well, I guess I’m a better person.

WALKER And that’s all you have. 133.

FRANK It wasn’t me.

WALKER Then who was it?

FRANK The SEC guy, wanted to know all about that dinner I had with Corey Stapleton in 2006.

WALKER I don’t remember that.

FRANK Well neither did I, but I guess I had dinner with Corey and we talked about betting against the housing market. When we couldn’t figure out how to do it.

WALKER I remember that.

FRANK Well they asked about that.

WALKER I told you to ask Corey if we could bet on groupings of mortgages.

FRANK Shit you did. But then... it’s Corey.

WALKER What?

FRANK Corey. Told them.

WALKER He’s at Goldman.

FRANK No. He’s gone. He quit or something. I don’t know, we fell out of touch. I’ll go see him.

WALKER No way.

FRANK And you going? To the star witness, Walker you might kill him. 134.

WALKER I’m not going to kill him.

FRANK Let me come with you.

WALKER I can handle it on my own.

FRANK I know that, but Jesus, all the fucking corruption and they’re going after you.

WALKER Was that pity in your voice?

FRANK I just mean, all the shit that goes on every day on Wall Street and they pick you.

WALKER I hate the sound of pity. I prefer the sound of hate.

FRANK You would.

WALKER I still don’t trust you.

FRANK I don’t trust you either.

The apartment

JASON Come on you owe us. Take the meeting. Come on. Am I gonna have to come over and rip your nuts off. Hello? Fuck.

SCOTT Jesus.

BRIAN What about Geichner’s office?

SCOTT I tried. 135.

JASON Jesus this is fucking miserable.

SCOTT None of them.

Hadley enters.

HADLEY Hello.

JASON Hey Hadley.

SCOTT Hey.

HADLEY Is Walker here?

SCOTT He had to go out.

HADLEY Okay. I tried his cell. We have a dinner thing.

SCOTT If we calls we’ll remind him.

HADLEY Okay. I’m gonna be in my office.

SCOTT Great.

HADLEY Scott, is everything okay?

SCOTT Um, you should probably ask Walker.

Hadley exits.

SCOTT Okay come on. We have to know more people. 136.

Corey’s apartment.

Walker knocks on the door.

WALKER Corey. Corey. Your doorman says you’re in here. I need to talk to you.

Corey opens the door.

Corey looks shockingly sick.

WALKER Oh my God, um Hello.

COREY Walker?

WALKER Yeah.

COREY Oh sorry, it took me a minute to get to the door.

WALKER Yeah. No problem.

COREY Come in.

The apartment smells.

WALKER Thank you.

COREY Can I get you anything, a coffee or whisky?

WALKER No, I’m good.

COREY I’m having whisky.

WALKER How have you been? 137.

COREY Well I’m sure you’ve heard.

No.

WALKER Yes.

COREY I don’t know. I guess. I always thought I was lucky. Fuck if I was wrong.

WALKER Do you want to talk about it?

COREY No. Yes. I don’t know.

WALKER What is it exactly?

COREY Brain caner.

WALKER Right.

COREY They thought it’d be fine. I thought it would be fine. We had a party. Corey is going to beat this. I planned the charity I would start when I got better. I fucking ordered pens. Do you know how you die?

WALKER No.

COREY I’m sorry. I’ve suddenly turned morbid. Do you want a pen?

WALKER But there’s no hope?

COREY I don’t think so. I went to South America. I went to India to see if, and the funny thing is I was on this dive in the Great Barrier reef and I saw a dolphin. 138.

WALKER What?

COREY What?

WALKER You were telling a story and/

COREY Oh sorry, that’s part of the whole thing. Do you want to know how I’ll die?

WALKER No.

COREY I guess this is why people stopped visiting. I’m angry. I’d kill you right now with my hands if I could take your life from you.

WALKER Corey I/ just

COREY You get drowsy and so you start sleeping more. Eight hours, then ten hours the next week, soon you build up into days, weeks and then you wake up and everything’s fine and then you get drowsy and you fall asleep and one day I’m just going to fall asleep and never wake up.

WALKER Fuck Corey.

COREY I hate you. I always did. And you made billions and it’s so not fair. I’m supposed to be playing Polo in Santa Barbara, but I’m waking up after sleeping for three days covered in shit and thirsty and hungry and scared.

WALKER Is there anything I can/ do

COREY No.

Silence 139.

COREY Can I get you anything to drink. A coffee or a tea?

WALKER I’m fine.

COREY Okay.

WALKER I have to go.

COREY Okay.

WALKER Did you know the Feds are investigating me?

COREY I’m sorry, who are you?

WALKER I don’t know.

COREY I don’t know who I am either.

WALKER Most people don’t.

COREY Can I get you anything to drink. A coffee or a tea?

WALKER No, but thank you.

Locanda Verde

Emma wait at a table.

EMMA Can I get a Margarita?

Frank enters. 140.

EMMA You’re late. Don’t you have a watch? Oh that’s right you do.

Silence.

Frank goes to speak.

EMMA I want to go first. I’m really angry. And I know that I should not be. I know that I should put my feelings into the context of the world. Because I’ve been to lots of places, where there is actual injustice and suffering, but you know I’m gonna take a minute for my life. This life right here right now and just allow myself to feel things unjudged because. Oh I wanted salt. Thank you. But the thing is in those terrible places you can’t avoid suffering. You can’t avoid pain. They are born into that, but we are not. We were born into privilege. And somehow we could not keep the happiness that was our birthright. And I don’t mean that in a flippant way. I mean that in a way that we were always healthy, that our parents weren’t dead, that we got a responsible education, we didn’t have to worry about bullets or famine. Or the army. You know what I mean. We had everything and we still were miserable and I think that is disappointing on a scale so large it is criminal. Thank you. Can I get limes on the side. I used to think, when I heard that people were getting a divorce, their relationship must have had a fatal flaw from the beginning, some terrible fissure that they knew in the back of their mind would grow cancerous and finally kill them, but the funny thing is I think, I just wanted to believe that. I really didn’t want to face the truth that you could enter into marriage with someone and suddenly wake up four years later and not even recognize the man in the bed next to you. No. We still need a minute with the menus. And that’s what happened Frank. I’m sorry, but this is your fault.

Frank goes to speak.

EMMA No, I’m not done. Let’s just be honest Frank, this is your fault. Ever since you left the fund. And even more specifically when Walker made his money, you turned into this wronged, slighted, Bette Davis heroine. Well no Bette Davis had more dignity. And. Hold on.

Emma downs her martini. When Frank tries to get in a word she hold up her hand and glares.

EMMA Brian freeze. Ouch. I’ll work through the pain. You’re, you’re. I’m done with the actress metaphor. I’ll just give you specifics. You moped through our wedding. You kept apologizing for not being able to afford three hundred thousand dollars on flowers. When, I didn’t even want that. You kept saying, well if I was a billionaire. You said it during our first dance. You said, imagine the wedding I could’ve given you. 141.

But I had the wedding I wanted. Everything was perfect except the groom. Because let’s face it. That life that we were creating would never be able to compete with the life you had in your head. The fantasy of being a billionaire was always going to be more intoxicating than the life you had and let’s face it we can always dream a little bigger and maybe imagination is a terrible thing. Maybe that’s what gets us in the end. The life we imagine we deserve and the life we have. Well it got us Frank. Sign the divorce agreement. Keep the damn watch. I was being petty. I’m sure you’d understand that.

Emma gets up and leaves.

The apartment. Hadley’s office.

WALKER Hello.

HADLEY Hey there.

Walker comes over and holds Hadley.

HADLEY Walker? Babe?

WALKER I’m so happy to see you.

HADLEY You okay?

WALKER I can’t wait to marry you and have babies with you and just have the best life.

HADLEY Walker.

WALKER I love you.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you. 142.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you.

They start to take off each other’s clothes.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you. 143.

HADLEY I love you.

They begin to have sex.

WALKER I love you.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you.

HADLEY I love you.

WALKER I love you.

They cum.

A hotel ballroom.

Walker, Scott and Brian stand answering questions.

WALKER Thank you all for coming here today. I just want to reassure you that the SEC is just doing it’s job looking into all possible scenarios, but they will find that I am innocent of any of their charges. 144.

CLIENT #1 Did you handpick the mortgages?

WALKER I did, but that is not illegal. In fact, it’s perfectly legal.

CLIENT #2 They say you were the most powerful of all/ the

WALKER I want to stop you right there. If you guys remember four years ago when I came begging, on my knees to you guys for money, I was not at all the most powerful broker. Most of you hadn’t even heard of me. So to say that I was some powerful guy is a joke. I was just a little guy with a big dream, a dream that has made all of you millions.

CLIENT #3 Then why are they going after you?

WALKER That is a good question. But there is not a good answer. I have been singled out, gentlemen because we now live in a government that fears success. We have a President who wants economic equality.

CLIENT #1 Boo.

WALKER Men like all of you, and me. Have gotten up every day and worked hard. Look at me I’m the son of a chauffeur and I am now a billionaire. That is the greatness of our country and I’m sorry it seems to me like something Obama and the Democrats want to destroy. They’re coming after us because we did our job, we worked hard, we worked within the law, I want to say that again, we worked within the law and now our own government wants to punish us for this. I’m sorry, but this is not The America that I believe in.

Applause.

Walker shakes people’s hands, is all smiles.

CLIENT #1 I still believe in you.

WALKER Thank you. 145.

CLIENT #2 Maybe we could talk this over later in the week?

WALKER Lunch? Let’s do lunch. Jason put that down.

JASON Will do.

WALKER Great seeing you.

CLIENT #3 That was very reassuring. It’s so strange Robert Khuzami is going after you. I mean look at his record.

WALKER Excuse me.

CLIENT #3 I mean could be more hypocritical?

WALKER What are you talking about?

CLIENT #3 You don’t know about him?

A meeting.

ROBERT Mr. Kane.

WALKER Mr. Khuzami.

ROBERT Thank you for meeting with me.

WALKER You threatened to subpoena me. That’s a gross word, “Subpoena”.

ROBERT Care to sit down. 146.

WALKER Like I have a choice.

ROBERT Of course you do, it’s a free country. Until you do something wrong.

They sit.

ROBERT I have some questions for you.

WALKER I’m sorry, but you need to answer my questions first.

ROBERT That’s not/ how we

WALKER Where did you used to work Mr. Khuzami?

ROBERT I am the head of the enforcement division of The/ SEC

WALKER I meant before this. From 2002 until 2009, where did you work?

ROBERT Deutsche Bank.

WALKER You were general council for them.

ROBERT Yes.

WALKER You looked over trades to see if they were legal.

ROBERT Yes.

WALKER Did you ever look over Collateralized Debt Obligations or CDOs that involved bundles of sub-prime mortgages? 147.

ROBERT I am not at liberty to discuss this.

WALKER Before these charges didn’t you investigate all the large banks in New York City to see who were making these deals?

ROBERT Yes.

WALKER And you saw that Goldman was doing it.

ROBERT They were.

WALKER But there was another bank that was doing it too.

ROBERT I am not at liberty to discuss this.

WALKER If I’m not mistaken it was Deutsche Bank.

Silence.

WALKER No. I mean. I’m not mistaken. I’m a hundred percent correct.

ROBERT My time at Deutsche Bank doesn't affect my work here/ at

WALKER So you worked for a company for seven years. You made millions of dollars. Then the Federal Government appointed you to investigate if any big banks did anything wrong? Do I need to keep talking, because it seems pretty clear to me there is a criminal in the room and it’s not me.

ROBERT Mr. Kane, I need you to/

WALKER I’m sorry I have to go. I have an interview with 60 Minutes.

TV Studio. 148.

WALKER Listen Ms. Stahl, Robert Khuzami has no place being at the SEC, it’s like having a diabetic run the candy store. You can’t have someone who made millions of dollars in an industry turn around and police that industry. A child would understand this.

ROBERT Thanks Katie, Mr. Kane is guilty of his crimes and now we have him in a corner and his only strategy is to personally attack me. I think this is the lowest kind of behavior.

WALKER I think this is why people don’t trust Wall Street and I don’t blame them. This kind of inside baseball is not what our country needs.

ROBERT I mean to single me out is just crazy.

WALKER To single me out is just crazy.

ROBERT Yes I used to work for a bank, but look at who President Obama, who I faithfully serve, made the secretary of our Treasury, Henry Paulson. He worked at Goldman Sachs for nearly forty years. When he quit to take on the Treasury he had to sell his stocks, so there wasn’t a conflict of interest and he made $600 million dollars. And that’s great. That’s how our government works, so for Mr. Kane to say that I, who never made nearly $600 million dollars is somehow tainted. I say that is ridiculous.

WALKER I may be old fashion, but I think bankers should be bankers and politicians should be politicians. Call me crazy?

Off the air.

Scott, Brian and Jason enter.

WALKER How’d I do?

SCOTT Goldman Sachs just called. They want a meeting to plan strategy.

They high five.

Bedroom. 149.

Walker and Hadley in bed.

They are both on laptops not really paying attention to the TV.

DAVID REMNICK Ironically I think the Goldman Sachs investigation is gonna play for the Democrats, if the Democrats are able to seize this issue.

Applause from the audience.

HADLEY So we are agreed on The Four Seasons for the engagement party?

WALKER Restaurant of hotel?

HADLEY Restaurant. Please.

DAVID REMNICK Are able to seize this issue of financial regulation.

WALKER Can you turn that off?

HADLEY Boardwalk Empire is coming on next. I need you to send me your guest list in a week? Is that okay?

WALKER Sure. Turn it off.

DAVID REMNICK Make it their own and what happened in the last couple of days is a trip wire and you’re gonna see some Republicans have to flirt with voting for this bill.

HADLEY We still haven’t told your father.

WALKER I want to tell him in person. 150.

HADLEY Well it’s a three hour flight to Miami.

WOMAN Does everybody know about this are we gonna see Lloyd Blankfein, of Goldman Sachs frog marched out

WALKER Frog marched

WOMAN Out in handcuffs.

BILL MAHER Let me ask about that because we have an eminent economist here.

WALKER I’ve never heard of him.

HADLEY What?

WALKER I was talking to the TV. I’m very busy right now.

HADLEY Yes, but he’s your dad.

BILL MAHER I asked a question on the show a couple of weeks ago how could it be legal that a company like Goldman Sachs can advise it’s investors to buy a stock that they know is Dog Shit

ECONOMIST Designed to be dog shit.

BILL MAHER Designed to be Dog shit to put it in the terms of an economist.

DAVID REMNICK At MIT.

WALKER Fuck this guy?

HADLEY What’s going on? 151.

Hadley starts to pay attention to the TV.

BILL MAHER At MIT. And make money betting against it. You know, but apparently today we had the news, no you’re not gonna get away with it, they went after this guy...

ECONOMIST The SEC is watching your show. They got the point.

Bill Maher laughs.

ECONOMIST A few thousand other people told them this as well.

BILL MAHER Yes, I think so. In addition to you.

ECONOMIST This was a fraudulent transaction.

WALKER No it wasn’t you stupid fucking piece of dog shit.

ECONOMIST As alleged. I don’t think the SEC is going after Goldman Sachs because it’s easy or they have a weak case, they’re going to the heart of the matter.

WALKER Nice literary reference asshole.

ECONOMIST Look there’s fraud at the heart of Wall Street.

WOMAN Surprise. Surprise.

BILL MAHER Listen I’ve been trying to understand this for two years, I’m the schmuck on the phone with the broker and I’ve said this on the show, I lost a lot of money with Lehman Brothers. I mean Elizabeth Warren had to like cradle me.

Laughs 152.

BILL MAHER The best way I can understand this is like The Producers and I’m talking about the show. You know, where you make more money with a bad show.

ALL Yes.

BILL MAHER Then you would with a good show and when they say they bet against it, I don’t know what that means.

WALKER Take Econ 101 you dumb ass.

HADLEY He’s a comedian honey.

WALKER But he’s talking about me. He’s allowed to go on TV and talk about shit he doesn’t know.

HADLEY But he’s admitting it.

ECONOMIST Basically they designed a mechanism, they designed a security to sell to people that they knew would go bad, and it was designed by Walker Kane a person who was very good at and wanted to bet more on securities that would go bad.

Walker turns off the TV.

Silence.

HADLEY Walker?

WALKER I don’t want to talk about it.

HADLEY Yeah, I’m not giving you a choice.

WALKER The SEC is investigating me.

HADLEY You said that it was routine, like an audit. 153.

WALKER Exactly.

HADLEY Then why is the editor of The New Yorker talking about it on HBO?

WALKER Slow news day.

HADLEY Walker.

WALKER Listen, it’s not a big deal. I’m having a meeting with Goldman on Tuesday and we’re going to clear this all up.

HADLEY Walker what happens if they don’t clear it up?

WALKER But they will.

HADLEY But this isn’t, like you couldn’t go to jail.

WALKER Of course I won’t.

HADLEY But if they find you guilty/

WALKER But I’m not.

HADLEY Of course you’re not, but I mean innocent people go to jail.

WALKER Hadley, don’t worry about this.

HADLEY I’m going to be your husband. We are going to have a family. You need to confide in me.

He thinks. 154.

HADLEY Walker Benjamin Kane.

WALKER The full name treatment.

HADLEY Look at me. I love you. Tell me.

WALKER I could face five years in prison or a large fine. I could loose my broker license and be unable to trade stocks for life or sit on the board of any company or own any publicly traded company.

HADLEY Oh my god. Walker.

WALKER I know.

HADLEY You have to fix this.

WALKER I will. Just you watch me.

Goldman.

FRANK Got a minute?

FRANKLIN Hey, what are you doing here, and so early?

FRANK I know today is when you’re meeting with Walker.

FRANKLIN Yes.

FRANK He did really well in that 60 Minutes interview. 155.

FRANKLIN You sound happy.

FRANK I think he’s a dick, but I think it’s unfair.

FRANKLIN That’s very generous of you.

FRANK I just can’t figure out why Corey Stapleton ratted on him.

FRANKLIN Who?

FRANK That dinner Corey and I had. That’s what Robert has on Walker.

FRANKLIN Corey Stapleton’s dead.

FRANK Oh my God.

FRANKLIN Brain cancer.

FRANK Jesus.

FRANKLIN And he didn’t tell the SEC about that dinner, I did.

Silence.

FRANK Dad?

FRANKLIN What?

FRANK How could you do that?

FRANKLIN Um, I’m sorry, what the fuck is going on. 156.

FRANK Yeah, what the fuck is going on?

FRANKLIN I told the SEC about Walker. I thought you’d be jumping for joy.

FRANK Why?

FRANKLIN I don’t know because he humiliated you. Because he made you the laughing stock of New York City.

FRANK Oh my God.

FRANKLIN I did it to protect you. You’re the one who went to Goldman asking them for this, you’re the one who they wanted to go after. I had to give them Walker or they’d go after you. Can you imagine?

FRANK But we didn’t do anything wrong.

FRANKLIN They want to punish someone, Walker’s the perfect fit.

FRANK I thought you. He’s your favorite.

FRANKLIN Walker?

FRANK You gave him the money, you sent him to Will White.

FRANKLIN I thought Walker was going to fall on his ass. I never thought he was going to succeed.

FRANK Oh my God.

FRANKLIN How did you not figure this out? Frank, sometimes you’re so slow. 157.

FRANK All those years. Helping Walker and paying for his school and taking him on trips.

FRANKLIN It looked good.

Frank starts to laugh.

FRANKLIN What is the matter with you?

FRANK It’s amazing how you can think something about yourself that isn’t true.

FRANKLIN What are you talking about? Frank, you’re acting very strange are you drinking again?

FRANK Oh no. I just see things now. I never saw before.

FRANKLIN I have to go to a meeting.

FRANK You won’t stop him.

FRANKLIN Excuse me.

FRANK He’s too smart for you.

FRANKLIN We’ll see about that.

FRANK I got to go.

FRANKLIN Frank, please.

Franklin goes to give Frank a hug.

FRANK Don’t. 158.

Boardroom.

Franklin enters.

WALKER There he is.

FRANKLIN Walker.

They hug.

WALKER It’s so good to see you.

FRANKLIN Likewise.

GOLDMAN EMPLOYEE #1 Are we ready to get started?

WALKER Absolutely.

FRANKLIN Have you met everyone Walker?

WALKER Yes, well Fab and I go way back, but yes, we’ve met.

FRANKLIN Fantastic.

Everyone finds their seats.

SUSAN Thank you for meeting with us today.

WALKER Thank you for meeting with me.

TAYLOR Great job on 60 Minutes.

WALKER Really? I think they’re getting soft, but I digress. 159.

FRANKLIN You’ve been handling the whole situation very well.

WALKER Thank you. As fun as it is playing that game, I’m ready for it to end.

SUSAN We all are.

WALKER Wonderful, so we are all on the same page. We want the SEC to go back to doing what it does best, nothing. We need to negotiate with this Khuzami guy a figure, a nice small number, admit no wrong-doing on your part and call it a day. Shall we call him?

GARRY Woah. Woah this is moving very fast.

FAB We want to talk this through.

TAYLOR No need to be the bull on this.

WALKER Well, that’s my nature. It’s been very profitable in the past.

FRANKLIN Of course Walker, but that was the past. We need to think of a clear strategy that makes both of us look good.

WALKER Both of us?

FRANKLIN Of course.

WALKER Let’s not forget that.

GARRY I think this is going to be a long process. We need to really think this through.

WALKER I want this over today. 160.

FAB TAYLOR Oh come on. Walker.

WALKER The faster we finish this, the faster your stock rises.

GARRY Public opinion is changing against Wall Street.

WALKER I think it’s changed.

TAYLOR Exactly. So we need to be careful. We want people to think highly of Goldman Sachs.

WALKER Well the SEC kinda has proof you stole your clients stock you knew sucked.

FAB Yes, but it was someone else’s idea.

WALKER I see. I really didn’t want to bring this up but...

Walker opens his brief case.

WALKER I have an email here from 2007, from well you. “More and more leverage in the system. The whole building is about to collapse anytime now ... Only potential survivor, the fabulous Fab ... standing in the middle of all these complex, highly leveraged, exotic trades he created without necessarily understanding all of the implication of those monstruosities” By the way, you mispelled monstrosities, but I think the meaning is clear.

FAB Is this blackmail?

WALKER Oh God no. I’m trying to protect you. 161.

FAB Oh yeah.

WALKER How soon until the SEC subpoenas your servers and some intern in a cubical being paid a dollar an hour in India finds this? Ten minutes? I’m trying to save you the embarrassment.

FAB Stop rubbing it in.

WALKER I’m just starting.

SUSAN Can I see that e-mail?

WALKER Of course. Do you want me to send you all a copy?

GOLDMAN EMPLOYEES No.

SUSAN This will be fine.

WALKER So think there is a clock on this situation.

SUSAN Did you send this e-mail?

FAB Well, it’s a long/ story

SUSAN Yes or no.

FAB Yes Sir.

SUSAN Franklin, when did your friend at the SEC they were going to court today?

FRANKLIN At two. 162.

SUSAN Do we know what they’re requesting?

FRANKLIN No, my influence only extends so far.

SUSAN Of course. You, go shred this.

FAB Shall I come back?

Susan gives Fab a withering look

Fab leaves the room with the paper.

TAYLOR Do we have any idea of the figure?

GARRY They want ten billion.

FRANKLIN Come on.

GARRY That’s what my sources said.

WALKER Who are your sources?

GARRY It’s private.

SUSAN There’s no more privacy on this issue.

GARRY A reporter on the Wall Street Journal.

WALKER What’s the name? Franklin have Frank call Emma.

FRANKLIN Oh, Walker you haven’t heard. Frank and Emma are no longer together. 163.

WALKER Oh.

SUSAN No, we’re not dealing with a reporter.

WALKER The way I see it is we have two problems. The first problem is your alibi and then the amount you’re gonna have to pay.

TAYLOR What about you?

WALKER One second. Please let’s focus on the first problem. You guys need a good story.

SUSAN What we did was perfectly legal there is nothing illegal about it. One department was betting against a stock another was not. That is perfectly common.

WALKER Please there is no one who knows this better than I do.

TAYLOR Exactly.

WALKER I wonder if there is someone on any of these teams who maybe made a mistake. Who had to be let go quietly to save face.

SUSAN What are you talking about?

WALKER If there was someone who was let go during the deals, but of course it might have been too late to see the damage. I’m just thinking aloud. Someone who maybe had a health concern.

FRANKLIN Corey Stapleton.

WALKER Oh my God.

SUSAN Oh my God. 164.

WALKER That never crossed my mind.

GARRY Corey Stapleton was the main architect of the bill.

WALKER That is who set up the original plan at dinner, where was it Masa.

Walker looks at Franklin.

SUSAN Why was he let go?

GARRY He quit.

SUSAN Where is he now?

Silence.

WALKER He’s dead.

SUSAN He’s dead?

WALKER He shot himself in the head.

SUSAN Jesus.

WALKER This deal, Abacus. It should be his legacy.

TAYLOR By blaming him?

WALKER By celebrating him. The SEC can say whatever they want. This deal made everyone billions. You guys paid out, what was it a record 12.1 Billion dollars in bonuses in 2007? 165.

GARRY Something like that.

WALKER No, that is exactly what you paid. You would be doing a disservice to Corey if you didn’t give him the responsibility for this. To people like you and me, the real heart of Wall Street, Corey is a hero.

SUSAN Was there any issues with mental health while he worked here?

WALKER I wouldn’t know that. You know who was really close with him, Frank.

SUSAN Frank?

FRANKLIN I think he’s referring to my son.

WALKER I would be.

FRANKLIN You worked on his desk.

TAYLOR I did.

FRANKLIN Well.

TAYLOR Well there is, something.

FRANKLIN Go on.

TAYLOR I don’t think I should say.

SUSAN Son, do you see the situation we are in. 166.

TAYLOR He was diagnosed with brain cancer.

FRANKLIN What?

WALKER Oh my God.

TAYLOR He didn’t want anyone to know.

SUSAN Brian cancer. That’s terrible.

WALKER Horrible.

GARRY Poor fucker.

Silence.

Everyone bows their heads. Walker looks around.

SUSAN Well it sickens me to bring this up, but brain cancer. Could that, I guess this is why I make the big bucks, I have to make the hard calls. Do we think there could have been some side effects that could have affected his work?

TAYLOR I never saw anything.

WALKER Are you a doctor?

TAYLOR Of course, I’m not a doctor. This whole thing is disgusting and you Walker, to/

SUSAN Taylor, I understand how hard this must be for you.

TAYLOR Thank you. 167.

SUSAN We can take it from here.

TAYLOR What?

SUSAN We’re talking about your friend. This is upsetting.

Walker and Taylor exchange looks.

Taylor leaves.

SUSAN So we need to vote. I say we go with this story and see what the SEC and Khuzami want to do.

Susan raises her hand.

Garry raises his hand.

FRANKLIN Does Walker get to vote?

SUSAN I don’t see why not. He’s one of us.

WALKER Well thank you Mrs. Harrington.

SUSAN Call me Susan.

FRANKLIN Fantastic.

Franklin raises his hand.

WALKER Of course I vote for me, this plan.

SUSAN Well let’s make the call. 168.

Frank stands making call.

EMMA’S VOICE Hello, this is Emma Sanders. I’m not at my desk. Please leave a message.

Beep.

FRANK Hey Emma. It’s Frank. I signed the divorce documents. And I sent back the watch. I’m sorry about that. It’s yours. Anyway. It’s strange not knowing where you are. Are you back traveling around the world on assignment? Are you in a meeting? I bet you’re ignoring my calls. I don’t blame you. Anyway I’m sorry for how it all turned out. For whatever that’s worth. And you were right. It was my fault. I just couldn’t see myself. You know. I couldn’t see anything for what it was. I had this idea about what my life was and it turns out, I was so fucking wrong. Can you believe that? And it’s so funny, I’m so happy. I’m so happy for everything that happened. For the first time. And maybe I’ll feel different tomorrow, but I think I can see my life, like the big picture and I’m babbling, but/

MACHINE End of message.

Beep.

FRANK Oh shit. I babbled too long. But anyway you’ll never hear this Emma. But I always knew you were the best thing that ever happened to me. That’s the only thing you were wrong about. I love you.

Goldman

WALKER Okay now we have the second problem. The money.

GARRY They want multiple billion dollars.

WALKER Bullshit.

GARRY Susan.

SUSAN Why do you think it’s bullshit Walker. 169.

WALKER The SEC has never gotten a fraction of that kind of money. The biggest settlement they ever got was three hundred and fifty million dollars. Three hundred and fifty million dollars. That’s a Monday morning when we’re hung over.

BARRY Susan doesn’t drink.

SUSAN Calm down Barry.

WALKER Listen, we give him four hundred million dollars and he gets to say, “it the highest fine Wall Street has ever paid.” He gets his headline and we spend loose change.

FRANKLIN I am going to stop Walker. I think it will be insulting to the SEC if we low ball them. They have the potential to really do some damage. I think that offer is insulting.

BARRY I agree.

SUSAN Okay well, we also have to deal with terms. Do we apologize?

WALKER Fuck no!

FRANKLIN Walker.

WALKER No. Sorry. Of course not.

FRANKLIN This is going to get so ugly.

BARRY I agree.

WALKER No wrong doing. Four hundred million dollars. 170.

FRANKLIN They’re going to kill us.

BARRY It’ll make them come after us even harder.

WALKER Listen I’ve met this guy. He isn’t hardcore. He’s a careerist. He doesn’t actually want to come up against Wall Street. We know some of the tactics Wall Street has used in the past. I’m not gonna say prostitution rings, extortion and murder....

BARRY FRANKLIN Oh come on. Walker.

WALKER You didn’t let me finish. I was gonna say murder threats. Threats. Elliot Spitzer. Anyway.

SUSAN No wrong doing. A billion dollars.

WALKER Too much. Listen Susan, I know you. I watched you work when I was here. I saw you convince the French to invest in wind farms in China. Do you guys remember that deal? It was a billion dollar day for you. It wasn’t your first. And it wasn’t your last. You’ve dealt with dictators. Do you think a Director of Enforcement at the SEC is a big deal to you?

FRANKLIN Don’t bring up wrong doing yet. Just float the number. See what he says.

SUSAN Let’s do this.

The SEC

ROBERT’S ASSISTANT It’s Goldman they want to talk.

They high five.

ROBERT We’ve been waiting for this. Give it to me.

Goldman. 171.

SUSAN Hello Robert. This is Susan Harrington.

ROBERT Hello Susan.

SUSAN You’re on the phone with Franklin Hopkins, Garry Hale and Walker Kane.

ROBERT Hello Mr. Kane.

WALKER Hello.

ROBERT So what can I do for you today?

SUSAN We want to talk about ending your investigation.

Robert is ecstatic.

ROBERT

(Controlled) Please, tell me more.

SUSAN The first thing we’d like to say is that we have done nothing wrong.

Franklin and Barry give each other a look.

ROBERT Okay.

Everyone at Goldman looks around.

SUSAN We will admit absolutely no wrong doing.

Walker and Susan lock eyes.

SUSAN Five hundred million dollars. 172.

ROBERT Hold please.

Robert puts down the phone. He whispers to his assistant. His assistant whispers back.

ROBERT Let’s meet. I think we can work something out.

WALKER

(Quiet) Put it on mute.

SUSAN Hold on for a minute.

Muted.

Goldman bursts into laughter.

BARRY The fucking fool.

SUSAN Oh my God.

WALKER Ask about me. Ask about me.

SUSAN Oh sorry Walker.

Un-muted.

SUSAN And drop the case against Kane Capital.

BARRY That shouldn’t be a problem.

WALKER You/ stupid fucking son of a bitch.

Susan picks up the phone. 173.

SUSAN Where do you want to meet? I’ll leave now.

Susan hangs up the phone.

SUSAN Oh my God.

FRANKLIN What a fucking moron.

WALKER They’re gonna let us get away with everything. What did I tell you? What did I tell you? We can do whatever the fuck we want.

The penthouse.

Hadley is asleep.

Walker enters with champagne.

WALKER Wake up!

He pops the champagne.

WALKER I did it.

HADLEY What?

WALKER They’re dropping all charges.

HADLEY Oh Walker.

They kiss.

HADLEY I knew you’d make it better.

WALKER Well I did nothing wrong. 174.

HADLEY Of course.

WALKER I have a surprise for you.

HADLEY What?

WALKER We’re leaving for Paris in four hours.

HADLEY What?

WALKER Got the first flight out. We’ll be having a drink at the Ritz by lunch.

HADLEY I have a million things, I have/

Walker kisses him.

WALKER No excuses. It’s Friday.

HADLEY I guess it is.

WALKER Oh God. I did it.

HADLEY What happened?

WALKER Oh God, you know Goldman was just looking for someone to blame and they wanted me?

HADLEY But why?

WALKER Cause I’d made all that money on those CDOs.

HADLEY You know I don’t understand finance. 175.

WALKER Nobody does excpet me really.

HADLEY Cocky much.

WALKER Very, very cocky. And rightly so.

HADLEY But what did you do?

WALKER I just went in there and showed them for the best of both our interests that I had nothing to do. Goldman doesn’t have to admit wrong doing, they just have to pay five hundred million.

HADLEY That’s a lot of money.

WALKER Once this deal is public, Goldman’s stock will rise four times that.

HADLEY But why did the SEC change their mind.

WALKER They didn’t. Goldman did do something wrong, and they’re going to pay five hundred million dollars because of it.

HADLEY But they don’t have to say they did anything wrong.

WALKER It’s really complicated.

HADLEY Don’t you think I’d understand?

WALKER Of course, but Hadley I just want you to be happy. I want you to be happy for me. For us. This is a really, really good thing.

HADLEY I’m just. 176.

WALKER Don’t worry.

HADLEY Are you unethical?

WALKER Excuse me.

HADLEY What you do? They’re saying these Wall Street Banks/

WALKER Who is saying this?

HADLEY Everyone. The media.

WALKER Fuck the media. Are you going to believe the media or your husband.

HADLEY But Goldman is paying a fine.

WALKER I’m not.

HADLEY You said it was your idea? I’m just confused.

WALKER Hadley it would take hours to explain.

HADLEY Well we have hours. The plane and Paris and/

WALKER I don’t want to fucking about this on vacation.

HADLEY I’d just like to know.

WALKER What? 177.

HADLEY What you actually do.

WALKER As opposed to what.

HADLEY As opposed to the nothing you tell me.

WALKER You get everything you want, why does it matter.

HADLEY I went online and started to read some things about you. After we saw on the news and people don’t have a very good opinion of you Walker.

WALKER They’re jealous.

HADLEY They say you’re a thief.

WALKER If I ever heard anyone say a word against you I would murder them. I would kill that person. And what do you do, you believe them.

HADLEY I’m asking a question. Is that a crime?

WALKER You don’t trust me.

HADLEY That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying that the government was investigating you and now they’re not and I’m confused.

WALKER Well that’s your fucking problem. I think I’ve been very clear. When I come home I want to have champagne and have sex and have a good time. I don’t want to hear your nagging.

Walker takes a sip of the champagne. It foams up.

WALKER Fuck. You’ve totally ruined the mood. 178.

HADLEY I’m sorry.

WALKER This is one of the best days of my life.

HADLEY I’m sorry.

WALKER Well. I just wanted to celebrate with you.

HADLEY I’m sorry, Walker.

WALKER It’s fine. Sorry. It’s just been a roller coaster.

HADLEY Of course. Let me get some glasses.

WALKER Perfect.

Hadley exits.

WALKER We can go to the Flea Market on Sunday and see if you can find some things for the new house in the Aspen. What are we looking for a mirror?

Hadley comes back.

HADLEY Yes. Here you go.

Walker pours two glasses of champagne.

WALKER Here you go. To my future husband.

HADLEY Cheers.

Walker stands up. 179.

Scott, Brian and Jason are there with champagne glasses.

WALKER To my guys! We did it.

SCOTT Shhh, here’s the press conference.

BRIAN Loot at the fucking loser.

Washington D.C. July 15

Robert Khuzami speaks to reporters

ROBERT “Good afternoon. I’m Rob Khuzami, Director of the Division of Enforcement at the SEC. I’m joined today by Lorin Reisner, Deputy Director of Enforcement and by the SEC staff responsible for the Goldman Sachs case, who I will introduce shortly. Today we are announcing that Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay more than half a billion dollars to settle charges that it misled investors in the Abacus synthetic CDO transaction.”

WALKER He won’t say five hundred and fifty million. He’s never gonna say it.

SCOTT He wants it to sound like it’s eight.

BRIAN Completely.

ROBERT “The more than half billion dollars is the largest penalty ever assessed”

WALKER There he goes.

ROBERT “against any investment bank or other Wall Street firm in the history of the SEC.”

WALKER I fucking wrote that line for him, the bastard. 180.

ROBERT “We also insisted that as part of the settlement, Goldman publicly acknowledge the fundemental basis of our allegations.”

JASON That’s amazing.

BRIAN That means nothing.

WALKER They admit the fundemental basis of our allegations.

JASON But not that they did anything wrong.

ROBERT “And that is what they did. They acknowledge that their marketing materials for the Abacus CDO contained incomplete information, and that they failed to disclose both Kane Capital’s role in the portfolio selection process,”

HADLEY They’re talking about you.

WALKER Shh.

ROBERT “and that Paulson’s economic interests were adverse to CDO investors.”

BRIAN Everyone on Wall Street just laughed.

JASON It’s like he was advertising for you.

SCOTT That was amazing.

HADLEY What does it mean?

SCOTT That your husband is a genius. 181.

ROBERT “In agreeing to the settlement, we also took into account that Goldman is engaging in a broad- based self-assessment of their overall business practices that will increase transparency, evaluate and remediate conflicts, and take other steps that collectively will reduce the chances that investors in the future will be misled.”

Everyone excepts Hadley laughs.

ROBERT “For that reason, today’s settlement sends a powerful message of deterence and accountability.”

Everyone laughs harder.

WALKER Oh my God that is hysterical.

ROBERT “Let me now turn this over to Deputy Director Lorin/

They turn the TV off.

SCOTT I’ll drink to that bafoon and more like him.

BRIAN No wonder no one trusts in the government.

JASON They shouldn’t.

HADLEY Well I’ll leave you guys to celebrate.

WALKER Come on, one more drink.

HADLEY No, I have a conference call about a building in Shanghi.

WALKER There’s my man. 182.

Walker kisses Hadley.

He exits.

SCOTT You did it boss.

WALKER Did you ever doubt me?

JASON Not for a second.

BRIAN Never.

SCOTT Can we just take next month off and go to Hawaii.

BRIAN Sit on a beach with a piña colada.

JASON And a hot girl.

(Looks at Walker) And a hot boy.

WALKER Sounds nice.

BRIAN Oh god. I want to go up to all our clients and take a shit on their face.

JASON Oh this one who has done nothing but complain to me the entire time called me today, didn’t mention a thing, just oh hi. And it’s like, you tried to pull your money out. God I want to just give it back to him.

WALKER Do it.

JASON What? 183.

WALKER Fire him.

JASON Fire a client.

WALKER We’ve got people waiting around the block. I’m thinking of a new expansion phase.

SCOTT Tell us about it boss.

BRIAN We want to go to Hawaii and he wants to get bigger.

WALKER I was thinking/

Frank walks in holding champagne.

FRANK Hey guys. I see you already have champagne.

Silence.

FRANK Well I’ll just leave/ it here

WALKER Come in. Come on someone pour him a glass.

FRANK Thank you. I heard about the announcement, obviously, and I just wanted to congratulate you.

WALKER That was very nice.

FRANK It was crazy they ever went after you.

WALKER Wasn’t it? 184.

FRANK Yeah. I just wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings.

WALKER Of course not. I know you didn’t turn me in.

FRANK Good.

WALKER Well come on in.

FRANK Thanks. Hey guys.

A muted reception.

FRANK Your place is really nice. I’ve never seen it.

WALKER Oh come on in, Hadley designed it. I’ll give you a tour. Guys put on some music. What kind of party is this? Come on I’ll show you around.

Kitchen

WALKER And this is the kitchen.

FRANK Nice.

WALKER Want a real drink?

FRANK Yes please.

WALKER I got a good bottle.

FRANK This place is really incredible. 185.

WALKER Want to buy it?

FRANK Is it for sale?

WALKER It is.

FRANK How much?

WALKER Twenty million dollars.

FRANK I can’t afford that.

WALKER Yeah I’m thinking of getting something bigger.

FRANK Really?

WALKER Need room for the kids.

FRANK Kids?

WALKER Well in the next couple years. We’re not getting an younger.

FRANK You heard that Emma and I broke up.

WALKER I did.

FRANK This is good bourbon.

WALKER How’s work? 186.

FRANK I hate it.

WALKER Got it.

FRANK But it’s getting better. I used to make me physically ill, but now I only loathe it.

WALKER I think that’s the most you can ever hope for.

FRANK That’s depressing.

WALKER Speaking of depressing. I heard your dad is retiring at the end of the year.

FRANK He is.

WALKER God. I never thought I’d see the day.

FRANK I told him it was a good idea.

WALKER Really? He’s gonna drive your mom nuts being home all the time.

FRANK That is definite.

WALKER This generation is starting to close up shop.

FRANK Now it’s our turn to rule the world.

WALKER Watch out world.

FRANK No kidding. 187.

WALKER I’ve been thinking.

FRANK What?

WALKER I want to make Kane Capitol the largest hedge fund in the world.

FRANK Of course you do.

WALKER You know this whole thing. It’s just made me even more, if I can get away with this. Can you imagine what else I can do?

FRANK Because nothing changes.

WALKER And I was thinking I might need a slighty-young ambiguous man to handle the sales for me.

FRANK Walker?

WALKER I’m serious. My guys are good traders. The best, but you know I hate the sell. And I just heard the best guy in the business hates his job.

FRANK You seriously would do this.

WALKER No matter what I think of you, I know I’d make more money with you on board.

FRANK That’s reassuring.

WALKER Hey I understand the power of money, better now than ever.

FRANK You’d be my boss. 188.

WALKER I was always your boss.

FRANK Fuck you.

WALKER You can take some time to think about/ it

FRANK Yes.

WALKER Really?

FRANK Listen I was afraid back then, but you were right. But I’m not anymore.

WALKER Neither am I.

FRANK You never were.

WALKER I was. I was just better at hiding it.

FRANK Thank you for saying that.

WALKER You’re welcome.

FRANK So what are you thinking about?

WALKER I think there’s a bubble.

FRANK Really?

WALKER Gold. 189.

FRANK Gold?

WALKER Yeah.

FRANK But we don’t know anything about gold.

WALKER Oh my god here we fucking go again.

FRANK I’m just saying.

WALKER Now just listen to me. It’s all about.

FRANK Gold.

WALKER Gold.

Music. .

Louder

Louder.

End of play. 190.

Note on the play

Hopkins/Kane is inspired by the hedgefund Paulson & Co.

In the summer of 2007, Paulson made $15 million dollars betting against the housing marker using synthetic CDOs created with the help of Goldman Sachs.

In 2010, a department of the SEC headed by Robert Khuzami investigated Goldman Sachs for their involvement in this investment. It was called Abacus. While Paulson & Co was named in the investigation, it was never formally charged.

They settled for $550 million dollars and Goldman Sachs never apologized.

In April 2014, thanks to the Freedom of Information Act new documents revealed the SEC secretly promised Goldman Sachs they would not prosecute any instances where Goldman misrepresented their position to their clients, other than Abacus. This proved the relationship between Goldman and the SEC was much better than they portrayed for the public.

The play is inspired by these events, but is a work of fiction.